Long may you Run Niel Young song
by Dr. Eminem
Summary: Antoher day in the life of Jack Bauer. Nina joins in for the day. DONE. I will continue to play with the title becuase I cannot find one so don't mind me.
1. 12:00 1:00 am Revised

These events happen in somewhat real time between the hours of 12:00 A.M. and 1:00A.M.  
  
12:00 a.m.  
  
As Jack sat in his office he contemplated the past few years of his life and what he has to show for all of his trouble. He has no one who cares about him. Kim loves him, but it is because he is her father and she had too, but sometimes he wondered if her patience is growing thin. On top of that she had married Chase. This is sort of fine with Jack because Chase in some ways is a reflection of himself. The fear that a blowback like Jacks will occur and Kim will get hurt in the crossfire. He now believed that if you choose this profession you did not deserve a family. You could not have one because the past always comes back to haunt you, as his had, and to bring a family into you are putting them in jeopardy.  
  
He begins to think about all the women he has loved and the woman that he still loves and haunts him, like the one chance that was never taken. Teri is that ghost. She is the person who always could make Jack forget about whatever trouble he had. The outside would no longer exist all of those problems left with one look at her, and life was normal again. Now that no longer exist and he has not only the outside world haunting him, but his dead wife, that he was responsible for killing. He no longer could escape to a happy place. Life was pain, sorrow, and destruction. He never could really love again because his heart was gone. This allowed him to go the extra mile others could not go because he had nothing left to live for. Kim had someone to look after her now if he died. He tired to love Kate, but he just couldn't love her like she wanted. He could not let that piece of his heart to live again. The pain of loosing someone would never trouble him again, because he would never care for anyone again.  
  
The past and present collided inside his head as he looked at the picture of Teri, Kim, and himself happily sitting together at the park. His reflections on life were disturbed by the ringing phone on his desk and he was brought back into the real world. The world of pain and sadness filled his mind again. Just another day at the office, and another day that would seem to last forever.  
  
"Jack its Tony. I need you in the conference room we have a situation."  
  
When don't we have a situation Jack thought to himself. At least once a year he has to stick his life on the line and exceed the possibility of the human body just to save the world so that more people can live happily ever after, and he has to live in the world of pain. Sometimes he wondered if it was all worth it, in the end he was left alone. But everyone is alone in the end. "I'll be down in a minute."  
  
12:05  
  
President Palmer walked through the doors of CTU. This was the second time he had done so. Last time he came to question he Federal Agent who he believed tried to kill him, and now that same man is one of his closest friends. He thought about the irony of life. There was a lot to be said for Jack Bauer. He was truly a great man, and Palmer respected him, and was honored to have him as a friend. Jack was the last true patriot a rare breed. Palmer felt bad though, because every time he saw Jack something bad was happening and he was asking Jack to help him. Every time this happened Jack lost something new. Whether it was his life or just a piece of himself. Either way he asked so much of Jack, and each time Jack would deliver even under extreme circumstances, but he might be too much.  
  
"Hello Mr. President. Please follow me; I'll take you to the conference room. I'm . . ."  
  
The president cut her off, "You are Kim Bauer. I'm sorry Kim Edmunds. I would not forget who you were. Your father is a great man. Will you be joining us in the conference?"  
  
"No Mr. President Tony," she paused to correct herself, "Mr. Almeida told me to escort you to the conference room and see if there is anything you need."  
  
"A glass of water please. Have to take my pills. How is everything with you and Mr. Edmunds?"  
  
"Everything is fine Mr. President thanks for asking."  
  
"I believe you meant my daughter are friends now."  
  
"Yes Mr. President after we meant when we ran into one another shopping we have continued to stay in contact and have lunch every now and then. She is a wonderful woman."  
  
"Please call me David. I'm glad to see my daughter has meant such a nice person. If you are anything like your father you two will be great friends."  
  
"Here is the conference room Mr. President, I'm sorry sir, I cannot get use to calling you by your first name. If you don't mind I would like to continue to call you Mr. President."  
  
"That is fine Kim."  
  
"My father and the others will be joining you shortly. I will be back with your water momentarily."  
  
"Thank you Kim."  
  
President Palmer walked into the empty room and took the seat at the head of the table. He still contemplated asking Jack to do the mission. He wondered if this would be the impossible for the man who has made so many impossible things possible.  
  
With that thought in mine Jack Bauer walked into the room.  
  
"Hello Mr. President."  
  
"Hello Jack. How is everything?"  
  
"Fine Mr. President. Thank you for asking."  
  
"How is everything with you sir?"  
  
"Good. I'm glad to hear everything is fine with you."  
  
Tony and Michelle walked in and greeted everyone.  
  
"I know Jack, your wondering why I would call this meeting today. It has come to the attention of some people that there is a problem brewing that needs to be handled. I'm reluctant to ask you to help because the person who informed us of the problem is not one of your favorite people. But she refuses to help us unless you are the one who handles the situation."  
  
There was silence for a moment. "Yes sir. I understand. Whatever you need me to do I will do."  
  
"Jack I'm leaving it up to you. Tony and Michelle will brief you of the situation that has just arisen and then you will decide."  
  
"Yes sir." Jack replied.  
  
Michelle took over and began to brief Jack on the events of the past hour. "Jack Nina contacted us via a satellite phone. We were unable to trace the call. She said that there was a major attack planned for the U.S. She would not give us any more information other than that Treadstone was behind it. As you know Treadstone is an organization that is organizing terrorist cells around the world. There goal is to create chaos. We still do not know who the leader of the organization is. We all know that they were the people who helped Osma and his crew with the World Trade Center incident. They are very capable and any threat proposed will be very deadly."  
  
"What proof do you have other than Nina's word?" Jack asked hoping there was none so that he could give the case of Nina being a known liar and that was all this probably was. He wasn't a coward nor afraid of Nina, he was afraid of what he would do if he were put in front of Nina again. Each time he worried and each time she escaped.  
  
"She is not our only source saying something is being planned. She is though the only source who has known contact with the leaders of Treadstone. We know this by other credible sources who have reported on her meeting with the shadow leader."  
  
Tony interrupted trying to get to the point because everyone had the basic knowledge of Treadstone. "Jack what we want you to do is fly to whatever country she wants to meet, meet with her and go from there. Of course you will be bugged and traced. If at any moment we fill it is not true we will contact you via cell phone and tell you to forget it. If you choose to take this assignment?"  
  
Jack looked at the President and asked, "There is no one else to do this? Correct?"  
  
"Yes Jack. She wants you and only you. If you do not think you can do it than we will find another way." The president said trying to let Jack no that he was not there last hope even though he was.  
  
Jack knew there was no other way to find out quick enough to even attempt to obstruct the plans. "Sir there is no other way. That is why we are having this meeting. I know you would not trust me to do this because of the history and that is very understandable. I will do it sir."  
  
"Are you sure Jack?"  
  
"Yes sir. My only request is that Kim does not find out. Which means Chase will have to be in the dark on it also."  
  
"Already done. I figured you would want that so I have made it look as if you would accompany the president to China for a summit meeting acting as help to the Secret Service. Neither of them will know your true reason for leaving or where you are going." Tony said. He knew Jack and even he was contemplating whether or not Jack was capable of doing this.  
  
"When do I leave?"  
  
"Whenever she calls back, which should be within the hour. She will tell you were to go." Michelle answered.  
  
"How will I get there?"  
  
"Via a plane that is already ready and waiting. You'll tell the pilot where to go when you reach the plane."  
  
12:45  
  
Nina Myers wondered if they would really ask Jack to meet her or if they would tell her to fuck off. She figured they would ask and Jack would accept with the thought of killing Nina after she gave him the information. She had planned for this and his plan would not work. She still was intrigued by Jack. She knew there was the physical spark between them. They were great in bed together and that she did miss. She didn't miss his boy-scout routine but he was a complete different person in bed. It was like the evil side of Jack came out in bed. The side you saw when someone had hurt him or his family, when it was game time side. Jack was two people, the caring father who wouldn't hurt a fly, and the other side that would kill you in a heart beat if he thought you were a threat to the U.S. Since Teri died the second side was more prevalent than the first.  
  
She dialed the number to CTU. She hadn't called that number in so long, but she still remembered it.  
  
"This is Tony Almedia speaking."  
  
"Tony where is Jack"  
  
"Hold on Nina" Tony handed Jack the phone and took a deep breath.  
  
"What do you want Nina?"  
  
"What no pleasantries Jack? No of course not your at work. You have to be super man meets the boy scouts. You never did have pleasure at work even when we were together. Why was that Jack?"  
  
"Are you going to psychoanalyze me to death or are you going to tell me were to go."  
  
"Go to the small airport off Sunset and I'll contact you via your cell phone." Nina said before she ended the conversation.  
  
Jack hung up the phone and sat for a moment.  
  
President Palmer inquired, "Where are you supposed to go?"  
  
"An airport of Sunset then she's going to call me. Via my cell phone."  
  
"SH$T. She's not going to give us the place in advance. She's going to run you around until she is sure there is no one who can catch you via following."  
  
"Yeah. I better get going. Time to jump through hops." Jack replied.  
  
"There is a car waiting for you outside. Go see tech to get the bug and tracer on. Michelle will be monitoring your bug and tracker. If anything happens to either we have a back up set that looks like a watch. It'll have the stuff inside."  
  
"Ok. But if she thinks I have a bug or tracer and she doesn't want it the first thing that will go is my watch."  
  
"Let's hope not because that is the only thing we can figure to use that won't be suspicious. She knows our techniques and she knows you. That creates a problem." Michelle added.  
  
12:57  
  
12:58  
  
12:59 


	2. 1:00 2:00 am Revised

The following takes place between 1:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.  
  
1:00 a.m.  
  
"Good mourning Gentlemen and Ladies. I have called you together on the matter of the coming events. But first let's welcome our new friends from Hamas. They have joined Treadstone and are willing to abide by the rules as long as they are guaranteed the occasional help and funding with their fight against the infidels. Tonight we have a serious matter on our hands. It has come to my attention that someone has tipped of the Americans as to our plan of attack. They have not yet told when or where, but they are in the process of doing so."  
  
An Asian man interrupted and asked, "Who is this someone?"  
  
"I will deal with this someone and the person who is paying her. This could cause problems in our plan and if it does the consequences will be grave. I have told all of you to screen the people who you trust and to make sure you can trust them. The person who is doing this is not to be trusted. She has backstabbed everyone she has ever worked for and that makes her not trustworthy, but someone still trusted her. But that is not the problem. She has called in the man who has once before ruined one of our plans. Jack Bauer. This man seems to be unbeatable. His wife has been killed, he has died and came back to life, and he has beaten a heroin addiction. This man is not to be taken lightly. He is very good at what he does. There is one advantage though. If we can get the woman to cross Jack than we can possibly detain him. I say detain him because he is a good asset. He is a friend of the Presidents. This could possibly be used. Plus I mean no ill will towards him. He has ruined our plans, but that was because of bad planning and hiring people who were ill-equipped to do the job. No harm will come to this man at this moment in time. He has a great deal of information to offer. No harm will come to the woman Nina Myers either. She is able to get to Jack in no way any of us could possibly imagine. Am I understood?"  
  
Everyone around the table and on the monitor agreed with him.  
  
"Now the matter of Nina Myers. I will not point out who hired her, but you are to try to get her to change sides again and help us. This should not be too hard because she does this all of the time, and Bauer if given the chance will kill her. Contact Nina and get her on our side."  
  
1:15 a.m.  
  
Jack felt at ease in some weird way. He knew that the bug and tracer in the watch was worthless, and he held very little hope on the other ones. Nina was good and she knew the procedure. In some ways he wondered what she had planned. Nina did not do anything unless it had something in it for her. That is what made him take the assignment. There was no real civic duty in it because he has paid more than his share of civic duty; no it was pure curiosity as to what she had planned. Saying goodbye to Kim was hard. Every time he left her something bad occurred because of this every timehe left she would look at him as if he would never return. He almost had not returned a few times, and nothing would make this time any different probably. He probably just signed on to another one of those days. The one that starts early and never ends, and when it ends something new is missing from him, and he gains nothing in return. But he would continue on with fighting through those days because this was his punishment for not saving Teri. This was his reparation he had to continue to survive until he was killed.  
  
The traffic was very light at this early hour and the trip to the airport took only ten minutes. It was simple drive and close to CTU, which surprised him Nina would have it that close to CTU. While driving Jack had checked his mirrors to make sure that no one was following him, and he did not notice anyone.  
  
Pulling into the airport he thought about Teri and all of the women he has loved. It occurred to him every woman he ever loved died. As he stopped the car his phone rang.  
  
"Jack"  
  
"Hi Jack. Listen carefully to my instructions. I want you to take your wallet out of your pocket, the keys out of the ignition, and your watch off. Hand them to the man that is walking up to the car. Than get out of the car leaving the cell phone on and in the seat. Follow the man's directions and do not try anything."  
  
The man Nina spoke of approached the car. He held a gun out pointed at Jack. The man was taller than jack and bigger. Jack did everything Nina asked. As he was getting out of the car a small Cessna airplane landed on the small landing strip of the air port.  
  
The man with the gun ordered, "Put your hands behind your head and lean up against the car." Holstering his gun the man walked up to Jack and patted him down taking Jacks gun and extra ammunition. He than ordered, "Take your coat, shirt and pants off."  
  
Jack reluctantly did as he was told. He felt funny standing in the parking lot with only boxers on, he though of a smart comment to make, but it wouldn't help the situation.  
  
The man with the gun escorted Jack to the plane. The pilot handed Jack a new shirt, pants, socks and shoes. Jack put them on and climbed into the small plane.  
  
The man with the gun shut the door and the Pilot took off.  
  
The man that took Jack's stuff grabbed the cell phone out of the car and drove to towards LAX.  
  
1: 30  
  
Jack looked at the pilot. He was older than Jack. He was paying attention to the flight gears more than Jack. This led Jack to conclude that he was not worried about Jack trying anything. Yelling over the engines Jack inquired, "Where are we going?"  
  
The pilot looked over and said, "Somewhere in Mexico. Than I don't know. The lady will let me know. What is this all about anyways? I get woke up from bed and some person pays me nine thousand dollars to fly and get you. With have the money they give me clothes for you. Did you break out of prison or something?"  
  
"No I didn't break out of prison. I'm not sure what this is all about. I'm just doing as I am told." Jack did not want to let on to too much information incase the pilot was more than what he claimed to be, and incase he was what he claimed to be.  
  
They sat in silence as they flew to Mexico.  
  
1:35  
  
Michelle ran up the medal steps to Tony's office. "Tony they got both sets of bugs and tracers."  
  
"How did that happen?"  
  
"They had Jack change clothes and took everything with them. I think the guy who took them is going to LAX to make us think Jack is doing so. Should I have him picked up or allow it to go through?"  
  
"If we pick him up Nina will know, and that might cause some problems, but if we don't we lose Jack and any hope of knowing what is going on." As he said that his phone rang.  
  
"Almeida"  
  
"Hi Tony! I figured you had him wired and or had a tracer on him. You must think I'm stupid. How are things? I heard you got married to a co-worker. Thought you might have learned your lesson but you just love your co-workers. Well I gotta go meet Jack and get paid."  
  
"We had a deal!"  
  
The phone line went dead. "Try to pick the guy up. Now! Tell whoever it is the most important thing right now."  
  
"I'll make the call."  
  
Picking up the phone Tony called the president to apprise him of the situation. "Mr. President this is Tony Almadia. We have a slight problem. Nina got both sets of wire and tracers. And we don't know where Jack is going."  
  
"How is this possible?" Palmer questioned.  
  
"Nina is not stupid and I figured she knew we would try something. She was ready for us. She had Jack change clothes and leave his watch with someone. We are at the moment trying to pick that person up. Hopefully he will still have the wires and tracers on him and he knows where Nina is having Jack go."  
  
"Thanks for the update. Call me as soon as you get something new. I want to stay briefed on every move of this operation."  
  
"Yes Mr. President."  
  
1:55  
Noticing that her father left in a hurry after the President came, and the way that Michelle ran to Tony's office Kim felt a sick feeling in her stomach. She knew that her father took another dangerous assignment. She walked up to her husband Chase and asked, "Do you know what my father is up to?"  
  
"Word is that the President asked him to accompany him to China for the summit to help the secret service in protecting him." Chase replied.  
  
"Do you buy it?"  
  
"It seems real."  
  
1:57 1:58 1:59 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 


	3. 2:00 3:00 am Revised

The following takes place between 2:00 a.m.-3:00 a.m.  
  
2:00 a.m.  
  
Nina's cell phone rings. She had one of those downloaded ringers, she didn't download it but the person she barrowed it from had and the song was "Secret Agent Man" Every time the phone rang it go stuck in her head. "Myers speaking".  
  
"Nina what in the hell are you doing?" A man with a deep voice screams over the phone.  
  
"Some work for myself why?"  
  
"Cuz Treadstone knows. And they are pissed. They want to talk to you. Treadstone himself wants to talk to you."  
  
"The guys name is not Treadstone. What does he want?"  
  
"He knows your meeting with Bauer and have offered up Treadstone."  
  
"Does he know I'm doing it to get to Bauer?"  
  
"No he thinks your going to narc them out. He doesn't want Bauer dead. I'm not sure why. He gave a bunch of bull-crap excuses. Whatever you got plan you better let him know because he has the entire group together and no one is real happy with you."  
  
"Fine I'll call him. Bye." Nina said as she hung up the phone. As soon as the call disconnected she dialed the person who no one knew what his real name was, but people nicknamed him Treadstone after the organization he created.  
  
The phone rang three times before someone picked it up. "It's Nina let me speak to Treadstone."  
  
After a moment a man with a low voice got on the phone. "Hello Nina. What are you trying to do? Please have a good excuse because I've heard your selling information about us to Jack Bauer."  
  
"No sir. That's just my cover. It is the only way I can get close to Bauer. I owe that man a lot of pain, sir."  
  
"I think you inflected enough when you killed his wife. He has never overcome that has he?"  
  
"Yes sir he hasn't."  
  
"I want you to take him into custody. Bring him to the safe house in Mexico and keep him there until I arrive in a hour. I'm on my way now."  
  
"Sir I would not advice in capturing Jack. He will not tell you anything, and he is very hard to keep under control let alone custody. Last time not only did he resist torture to the point he flat lined, but he came back to kill his captures all in the same two hour span."  
  
"I know that Nina, but I have something they did not have?"  
  
"What's that sir?"  
  
"You. You and Bauer have something no one can get. He once had feelings for you and now you are his worse enemy. He would do anything to piss you off, or to hurt you. You are his Achilles heel."  
  
"I'm not following you sir."  
  
"If we push him hard enough and than promise him a chance at you he will break. And if not we'll get his daughter involved in it. That has proven to work good at times."  
  
"Yes sir. I have to get off the phone now Jack should arrive any moment."  
  
"Remember I do not want him hurt. At least not to bad."  
  
"Not to bad sir. Bye."  
  
They disconnected from each other and Nina thought about all Treadstone had said. In some ways she looked forward to the event of having Jack again, and she also dreaded it because it never works out. Jack seems to be unstoppable.  
  
2:10  
  
Michelle reported to Tony, "The man we were tracking dropped the stuff in a locker at LAX. We have a forensic team there, but there isn't much they can do. There are too many finger prints on the locker and Jacks stuff is clean. Were trying to get the surveillance tapes, but we figure the guy already has taken off to some other country."  
  
"Damn it. Is there any other way you can think we can find Jack?"  
  
"He got on a plane at the small airport. Maybe if we contact the FAA and air flight controller's maybe the pilot filed a flight plan and he would have had to call in for the landing."  
  
"Good idea. Get on it. I have to go brief Chappell on the incident and the President. Can you handle things while I'm gone?"  
  
"Yeah no problem."  
  
Tony and Michelle both walked out of Tony's office. Kim was paying attention to them and they seemed to be acting weird like another major incident was occurring. In her heart she knew her father was in trouble again and they where hiding it from her. She walked up to Michelle and asked, "My father isn't really with the president. He wouldn't have had to leave so quickly. What's really going on Michelle?"  
  
"Kim your father is fine. He took off early to pack and than he was going to get briefed by Erin the presidents head secret service agent, as to what they needed him to do. He is than is flying out early and check out things before the president landed."  
  
"Michelle you don't have to lie to me. I'm a big girl I can handle whatever is happening. I think I proved that last year with the Salazar incident. Please tell me what is happening with my father."  
  
"Just what I said now get back to work."  
  
2:20  
  
The pilot yelled over the engines to Jack, "Where getting ready to land. It's going to be bumpy because there is no real runway. You might want to fasten your seat belt tighter."  
  
Doing what the pilot said Jack pulled on his seat belt and prepared for a hard landing. As the plane touched the ground everything bounced up and down. If felt like they were soda in a bottle someone was shaking up and at any moment they would fizzle out of the plane.  
  
When the plane came to a complete stop four men converged on the plane with M-16's pointed at the two occupants.  
  
Jack put his hands up and said, "Ok everyone calm down I'm not armed."  
  
One of the men opened the door to the co-pilot seat Jack was in and ordered, "Get out slowly."  
  
Jack unbuckled his belt and did so slowly so that the man with the gun would see that he was not reaching for anything. He than climbed down the plane and stood on the ground with his hands over his head.  
  
A moment later Nina appeared from the darkness. "Hi Jack. I hope your flight was enjoyable."  
  
Jack looked at her and said, "Yeah anything would be better than the last two times I was on a plane. Either time I was knocked out or the plane crashed. I'm here now can we get this over with so I can return back to my life and away from you."  
  
"Sorry Jack. I don't think you'll be back home as quick as you think. My boss would like to have some words with you. And maybe more than that. So why don't you turn around and let this guy restrain you so you don't get lucky again like last time."  
  
Jack was scared. He didn't show it, but he knew that if he did not do something he would end up dead. Nina knew that to live life without looking over her shoulder she would have to kill Jack, and she had the perfect moment to do it. He was unarmed and the possibility of back up was slim. Jack turned around and faced the plane. He figured if he was going to die he mind as well go down fighting.  
  
When the man got ready to cuff him Jack threw his head back as hard as he could catching the guy in the face and stunning him enough to be able to turn with a sweep kick knocking the man to the ground. Jack went to fight the next guy when a sharp pain shoots through his back. The pain vibrated through his body as he fell towards the ground with a quite scream of pain. When he hit the ground he fought to stay conscious and was doing a good job until the guy he head-butted took the butt of his M-16 and smashed it into Jacks head, and that was when everything went black.  
  
"Get him in the van and make sure he his handcuffed and chained. Do not underestimate this man. He has gotten out of worse situations. I want you to stay alert." Nina ordered.  
  
The man that originally tried to cuff Jack roughly grabbed Jacks arms and cuffed them together. He pushed the cuffs to a point in which they would close no further. He picked Jack up and walked over to the open back of the black van and threw Jack inside of it.  
  
Hitting the floor of the van Jack slid to the back. The man climbed aboard and took a chain with cuffs on the end of it and secured Jacks ankles to a bench post in the van. For the pure joy of it the man punched Jack twice in the side.  
  
Another man climbed aboard and closed the doors and the van sped off into the early mourning streets of Mexico.  
  
2:50  
Division was like CTU only bigger and with more security. Tony walked into the conference room where Chappell sat and a speaker phone sat.  
  
Chappell said to Tony, "Thanks for getting here quickly. Were on with the president and some of his top advisors."  
  
"Hello Mr. President. Jack Bauer is completely out of contact. The man that took his stuff dropped it off at a locker at LAX and we were unable to catch him. My people are reviewing the security tapes from LAX and we are looking to all of our sources to find Jack. We are also running down the lead as to the plane that took Jack away. We are hoping the pilot filed flight plans with the FAA and called in to the local air traffic control for permission to land. If we can find were the plane went we should be able to trace Jacks whereabouts. We are not sure if Nina is working on her own or if she is working with Treadstone."  
  
"That's all we have?" Chappell asked.  
  
"At this moment. When you called we were in the middle of trying to find where to go next. We are working with limited resources because of the president's order not to allow Kim or Chase to find out about Jack meeting with Nina."  
  
"This is true Mr. Chappell. Tony do you need more people to do this?" The president asked.  
  
"Yes sir. But I really want to keep my word to Jack about Kim. And if I tell her and Chase to leave they will get suspicious because they know we're on high alert because of the possible attack, Sir."  
  
"Do we have any other choices Tony?"  
  
"Not that I can think of Mr. President."  
  
"Than do what you have to do. Jack will understand."  
  
"Yes Sir. Will that be all?"  
  
"Yes. I know you have more important things to do than brief me every hour so I'm going to send over my chief of staff. He'll need a room to work out of and you can brief him to all of the new developments and he will report to me. As you know Jack is a good friend to me and means a lot, that is why my chief of staff will make sure you get all the resources you need. If we find Jack we might be able to stop this attack. Thank you."  
  
The phone line went dead.  
  
2:57 2:58 2:59 


	4. 3:00 4:00 am Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 3:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.  
  
3:00 a.m.  
  
The black van drives down a dirt road leading to a ranch house. To the left of the road is a big red barn. The van passenger, Nina Myers, gets out of the van and opens the two big doors to the barn, and the van pulls through them. When the van clears the two doors Nina closes them. She waited for the van to stop than she opened the back doors. Jack was still unconscious and the man who he head butted sat in the back holding his nose that gushed blood.  
  
"I think the bastard broke my nose." The man said as he kicked Jack in the back.  
  
"That's enough damn it. The boss doesn't want him hurt. Take him downstairs and stick him in the interrogation room. Make sure you secure him to something. You know how dangerous he can be." Nina ordered as she thought about why she always got stuck with idiots.  
  
The man grabbed Jack's legs and pulled him out of the van by them. Jacks head bounced of the bumper of the van. As his head bounced off the bumper he let out a groan. Slowly he was coming back to consciousness. He heard Nina's orders and his head was slowly clearing. The man picked Jack up and carried him down the stairs. He struggled trying to carry Jack and walk down the steps at the same time.  
  
When he reached the bottom of the stairs he looked in both directions trying to remember which direction the interrogation room was. Going to the right he found the room. In the room there was a small twin mattress on the concrete floor, a light fixture with metal grating over it, a table, and a metal pipe that was secured to the ceiling. The pipe ran down the length of the room in the middle. He threw Jack on the twin mattress and secured his feet with a chain with cuffs on the end of it, to a pipe that stuck out of the wall at the foot of the mattress. Leaving the room he locked the deadbolt from the outside and went to tend to his broken nose.  
  
Nina came down a few moments later and ordered another guy to stand guard outside the room. She gave the man her keys and had him unlock the door for her to go in, and ordered him to lock the door as soon as she got into the room. This way if Jack somehow got the upper hand on her she would not have to worry about him getting out. She had talked to Treadstone a few moments earlier and he ordered her to watch Jack until he got there, which should be within the hour.  
  
When she walked into the room she took a seat on the table. She did not want to sit on any of the chairs because God only knows what has gone on in those chairs. Jack was not the first person to ever visit this room. She hoped never to have to be on the other side in the room. People who entered this room as the tortured never left the same if they left it at all.  
  
Jack eyes opened and his muscles tightened with pain. He coughed and tried to focus his eyes. When his eyes finally focused he saw Nina sitting on the table looking at him. His mind tried to remember how he got here, and than it all came back to him as if the flood gates had just burst open.  
  
"Welcome back Jack. How are things with Kim?"  
  
The thought of Nina asking about Kim angered him and he tried not to show it, but he was sore and pissed off, "You have no right to ask about Kim. Leave her out of this."  
  
"Fine. What do you want to talk about we have a sometime to waste before the man gets here?"  
  
"Do we have to talk or can we just sit here in silence. I don't much feel like talking to the woman that killed my wife."  
  
"Yeah. Guess will talk than. You know it wasn't all of my fault your wife go killed. You left her with me, and because of that she heard things she shouldn't have of. If you would have just done what Victor wanted your wife would still be alive. You wouldn't be, but your wife would have been. You choose to live, and by doing that you killed your wife."  
  
Jacks face flushed to a bright red. He has told himself the same time many of times, but hearing it from Nina made him want to kill her and everyone else. It unlocked the primitive side of his brain and all he wanted to do was kill Nina in the most painful way he could think of and knowing himself and his ability to inflect pain it would be painful.  
  
"I didn't kill her you did Nina. And when you did you hurt my daughter. You have to live with the fact that not only did you kill Teri but you killed a piece of Kim."  
  
"You forgot you Jack. Remember how happy you were before. When was the last time you were happy Jack?"  
  
"The day before you killed my wife."  
  
"You shouldn't of taken it so personal. I only killed her because she would have compromised my exit. I did not want to hurt you; you just took it so damn personal."  
  
Jack sat in silence. He would not talk again. Anger ran through his body and memory of him holding his dead wife flashed into his mind. He hated this memory. He had lost it with the help of heroin, but now that he was off that the memory haunted him. He had not slept an entire night through since the day Teri died. Sometimes he would wake up and he would have tears streaming down his face. He never told anyone that, and probably never would. The only person who ever knew about it was Kate because she witnessed it one night when he stayed over at her house but he would always blame it on something else. She probably knew the real reason, but she never let on.  
  
3:10  
Michelle watched the video tape from LAX. She did not think she would find much about the guy who left Jacks stuff there. There were so many people in and out of the place every day pinning down the exact time he dropped the stuff off was going to be hard. She had a general time of arrival, but that was not a big help. She finally found the spot in which someone opened the locker. He had a hat on and his back turned to the camera. She slowed the tape down and watched it again. She could not see the man face. He was a bigger man, but that is all she could see from the tape. The FAA flight plans were a bust, and the pilot did call in for landing and take off, but no idea where the plane was going, or had gone. Jack was on his own it seemed unless a miracle occurred.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The Boeing 747 started its descent into the Mexican desert. The pilot intended on landing on the highway, lettings it's occupants out, and than flying to the big airport in Mexico City. He knew who his boss was, and the fact that he was working for the creator of Treadstone did not bother him. He had fought in many wars for his country and each time he lost more faith in his country, and it hit bottom when they elected David Palmer as president. The man was not smart enough to be president. That is when the pilot left the country for a new.  
  
Treadstone walked down the stairs of his private plane. If you had told him as a child he would be where he was now, he would have laughed. Growing up in communist Russia he had watched his father being murdered by a General who later raped his mother and stole him and raised him as if he were his own son. The General taught him many things about life and power. When he first got his organization together he made sure he killed the General. He took a month of torturing him to kill him. That got him his reputation as a man not to mess with. No one knew his real name anymore. Everyone referred to him by his organization name Treadstone, after the secret agency in his favorite book the Bourne Identity. He saw the new movie of the book and thought about how horrible American entertainment had become.  
  
As he walked to the car his began to focus on the man he was getting ready to deal with. Jack Bauer intrigued him. In some ways he respected the man. He had gone through so much and always came out of it. He wondered if Jack would survive this one. And laughed to himself because it was all up to him. He loved choosing peoples fates. The car sped off to the ranch house as Treadstone contemplated how he would break Jack Bauer. He too could do the impossible.  
  
3:35  
  
Kim was sure something was wrong with her father. She knew Tony went to brief Chappell and the President. That never happened, and Michelle was working on something she would not share with anyone. When Tony walked into CTU Kim ran up to him and began to question him.  
  
"Tony, what's happening with my father? I know he is not on the protection detail for the president because he is not registered to fly on Air Force One nor does he have a ticket to China. What is going on? Is he in trouble?"  
  
"Follow me to my office Kim and I will fill you in on the details." Tony said knowing he could not hide the fact that Jack was indeed in trouble from Kim anymore. He need Chase and her help on finding Jack. The options were running out and so was time.  
  
Once in his office Tony motioned for Kim to sit in a chair. "A few hours ago we got a call from someone. They had information that Treadstone was going to attack the United States very soon. They only wanted to meet with your father, and he had to be alone. They called with the details of where to meet and your father agreed to meet them. At the meeting spot they figured he was wired and had a tracer so they had him change clothes, give up his watch, and cell phone. After that we do not know what happened. We are sure he is still alive, but we do not know where he is at the moment."  
  
"Who was the caller?"  
  
"Kim. I don't think you should know this."  
  
"Please Tony. It's my father. You know I can handle bad news how many times have you had to give it to me? Please."  
  
"Nina Myers. We didn't just send him in blind though. We had others who said that Treadstone was going to attack the U.S. and that Nina had been known to associate with Treadstone. She was our only lead, and your father new that."  
  
"That's why the president was here earlier. He asked my father to do this for him?"  
  
"Yes. But he gave your father the choice. He knows the past and did not want to have your father do it, but there was no other way we could think off. We never figured she would do what she did."  
  
"The President knew when he asked he left my father no option. Do we have any leads on him?"  
  
"Not that I know off. If you want see if Michelle needs any help with the stuff she is working on. Tell her I've told you. We'll find him Kim. You know that right?"  
  
3:45  
  
Jack lay on the mattress trying to find a way out of the current situation. Right now everything looked bleak. He could not free his hands or his feet, and Nina knew him to well to give him any sort of opportunity. He cursed himself for taking this assignment. He should have told everyone to fuck off, but that wasn't him. He was scared, but he did not let it show. This was the first time he had ever really felt like he might not make it.  
  
The door opened and a tall man with blonde hair walked into the room. In a thick Russian ascent the man said, "Hello Jack. I've been waiting to meet you. I truly am an admire of your work. Nina has told me some of the details I have not known about you. I hope everyone has treated you well. Nina go get Chris in here. Tell him well need some rope and his usual supplies. Now Jack I do admire you, but you have some information I want and I plan to get it. I know you won't just tell me, even if I ask real nice, so I planned ahead."  
  
Jack did not reply. He only glared at the guy. His eyes showing no emotion, they were dead. Kate once told him when he had this look on his face he seemed very scary. Almost like a cold blooded killer. What she didn't understand is that is what he was trained to be originally, but in the past few years he had tried to get away from it because he did not enjoy doing it, and his past haunted him like his dead wife. All the people he has killed sometimes haunt him at night when he tries to sleep. He has never told anyone this even Teri never knew. She use to make the images go away, but she no longer was around she had become one of the many images in his mind. Even the heroin didn't stop the images.  
  
As the thought occurred to him a short man walked into the room with Nina. Nina was pushing a cart. Jack couldn't see what was on it, but he was sure it wasn't anything he would like. The man had had rope in his hand. He threaded an end through the pipe in the ceiling and motioned for Nina to get Jack.  
  
Nina uncuffed his feet first and than his hands. As soon as his hands were free he went to fight with Nina. He swung has hard as he could knocking Nina to the floor. The short man came at him and Jack ducked away to block a punch which he returned with a left punch to the abdomen, which knocked the wind out of his opponent, and than a elbow in the back of the short man who fell to the floor. Treadstone came at Jack quicker than a man his size should. Jack blocked the first punch, but did not have enough time to block the second one which connected with his the right side of his head, stunning him for a moment before he tried to attack Treadstone again. But Treadstone was ready. He blocked Jacks punch and sweep kick. Returning them with a punch, which Jack deflected but before Jack could bring his arm back to block again Treadstone punched Jack with all his might in the abdomen. The punch knocked the wind out of Jack who tried to catch his breath. When he finally looked up again Treadstone had his gun pulled out pointed at Jack. "Now Jack I think that is enough of this. We both know you can't escape this room. You had to try and you were not successful."  
  
The short man came up behind Jack and pushed the tazer in his had to the lower left of Jacks back. The shock sent Jack to the floor, he was unable to move. With the help of Nina the short man lifted Jack and tied his hands together with the rope he had threaded through the pipe earlier.  
  
Hanging from the rope Jack could feel it dig into his skin. He remembered this feeling all to well from the last time he hung from his hands from a rope. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he prepared for a long hard night.  
  
The short man, Jack figured was Mike, took a long knife off that cart Nina rolled in and cut Jack's shirt off, only nicking Jack once on purpose. Jack's breaths were coming quicker because of the adrenaline running through him. His heart was racing. He was afraid his heart might pop out of his chest. The last time it was beating this fast was when he had his heart attack. It had been a few years since and the doctors said he gained 99 percent of his heart muscle back and as long as he keep his cholesterol down he should be fine. He did not have normal heart attack, it was not because of his blocked arteries, it was drug induced so the damage was much less and easier to repair.  
  
3:57  
3:58  
3:59 


	5. 4:00 5:00 am Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 4:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.  
  
4:00 a.m.  
  
Kim walked over to Chase and began to tell him all Tony had told her. Chase first reaction was shock. He knew of Jack and Nina history and he never figured Jack would meet her by himself, and he couldn't believe that the president would allow him to. Together Kim and Chase walked over to Michelle and offered to help with anything.  
  
Michelle was on the phone with the air traffic controller who gave the plane permission to land. They were trying to trace the flight of the plane that took Jack from the air port.  
  
"We might have something. We have the plane landing on our records. When it took off again it was going south. The airplane was a Cessna call number Alpha Bravo 99. If you contact some of the southern flight controls they might be able to help you." The air traffic controlled said.  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Michelle hung up the phone and looked at Kim and Chase. "You two can help me. Kim, compile a list of air traffic controls stations numbers from here to Mexico. Than you and Chase call them you are looking for a Cessna plane with the call number of Alpha Bravo 99. We need to know where it landed last, and possibly who the owner is. I'm going to brief Tony on this possible break."  
  
4:10 a.m.  
  
The rope was cutting into Jacks hands and his arms already burning from hanging from them. Chris examined the different tools on his table. Some of which are a hot wood engraver, tazer, a knife, baseball bat, and matches. Grabbing the baseball bat the he caressed it as if it were his favorite item.  
  
He walked up to Jack and said, "You never should of hit me. I might have started out easier." He got into a batter stance and swung hard hitting Jack in the ribs. Jack screamed out in pain. His breath was quickening, and coming in gasps now. Again the man swung hitting Jack again, and again and again. Jack screaming in pain each time. "Jack what does CTU know about Treadstone?"  
  
Jack glared at him defiantly gasping for breath. The man took the bat back again this time striking Jack in the knee. Jack screamed in pain again. The man swung the bat again connecting with Jacks ribs. Each time Jack breathed pain shuttered through his body. Every breath was worse than the next. Just the movement of his body caused pain. Thinking caused pain.  
  
Nina who was sitting at the table smiled to herself. She did not hate Jack, but she liked to see him in pain for all the trouble he caused and for how he abandoned her to go back to his wife. She would like to get a piece of Jack. She was happy she would be here to see him break. She would cherish the moment for quite some time.  
  
The short man put the bat down and looked at Jack. He said, "Jack what do you know about Treadstone? Tell me before you end up looking like Swiss cheese."  
  
The man punched Jack twice in the face. First with his left hand than his right causing Jack's head turned with the force of the blows and blood flew out of his mouth. The ropes now were digging so hard into his skin that blood was dripping down his arms. Again the man hit him in the face this time cutting open Jacks lip and causing him to have a bloody nose. Blood was dripping downs Jack's face. He could taste the rusty blood in his throat and it made him want to gag.  
  
"Jack what do you know about Treadstone?"  
  
Jack spit blood out at the man hitting him in the face with it. "Jack, why did you do that?"  
  
The man walked over to the table and grabbed the hot wood engraver. It looked like a pin, but it was so hot that it was used to engrave wood. The man took the hot wood engraver and stuck it to Jacks left nipple. Jack screamed out in pain. He began to cuss the man. The man again held the hot engraver to Jacks left nipple and he continued to hold it there for a few minutes. Jack screamed in pain and his eyes bulged this was almost like last time.  
  
Chris walked over to the cart and grabbed a syringe full of liquid. "Jack, Do you know what black widow spider venom does to the body?" The man paused for a second holding the syringe up so that Jack could see it. "It makes the neurotransmitters in your body to release acetylcholine, which is responsible for your skeletal muscles movements. See your neurotransmitters keep releasing it. And reuptake does not occur so your muscles began to spasm. A large dose could kill you, but I'm going to give you a little taste. Enough to cause pain, but not kill you. This is going to hurt like hell. Especially with those broken ribs." Chris walked up to Jack and stuck the syringe in his arm releasing only a small amount of the venom into Jacks blood stream. It took a minute for the venom to react and when it did Jack began to move around like he was having a seizure. The venom caused all of his skeletal muscles to contract. Jack screamed in pain every part of his body hurt. After a few minutes of this Jacks body went limp. His eyes were still open and he was still breathing, but he did not have enough strength to do anything else. His mind was else were and he did not hear the conversation between Nina, Chris and Treadstone.  
  
"Let him rest for a moment. I need a tub full of freezing cold water." The man said to Nina.  
  
Nina knocked on the door and told the guard outside what the torturer wanted.  
  
Treadstone asked, "How long do you think it'll be before he breaks?"  
  
"I'm not sure sir. He is a strong man and stubborn. This makes him hard to break."  
  
"Sir I have a suggestion. If for some reason this does not work you might think about threatening to bring his daughter into it. He might give for that." Nina said.  
  
"Good idea. If he doesn't break soon than we try his daughter."  
  
4:30  
"Michelle I got a hit on the plane. It is an air traffic controller close to the Mexican border. She says that the plane flew across the border. The weird thing is that it did not land at an airport; this is why she remembers it. It landed a few miles across the border in the desert." Kim reported to her.  
  
"Do we have a clue were the plane is now?" Michelle asked.  
  
Kim said something into the phone. "Yeah it landed at a small air field in the southern part of the state. The owner is Ryne Sevin. He usually does tourist flights. The flight controller is looking up his number now. She knows him."  
  
"Good Kim. As soon as you get the number go to Tony and tell him."  
  
Kim waited a moment and than wrote down the number the air traffic controller gave her. She thanked her and ran up to Tony's office.  
  
"Tony we found where the plane landed and the owner. The plane landed a few miles over the Mexican border and the pilot is a Ryne Sevin his number is 555-6787. He usually flies tourist around. The air traffic controller down there knows him and she said he isn't into anything illegal that she knows of."  
  
"Good Kim. I'm going to call him. Tell Chase to join me in my office. You did good. Why don't you go report this to the Chief of Staff. He's in conference room B."  
  
"Ok Tony."  
  
Tony picked up the phone and dialed the number of the pilot.  
  
A man with a sleepy voice answered, "Hello."  
  
"Are you Mr. Ryne Sevin?"  
  
"Yeah. Who is this?"  
  
"Sir I'm Tony Almadia I'm the director of CTU up in Los Angles. Did you fly down to Mexico earlier this mourning?"  
  
"Yeah." The man paused for a moment, he wasn't sure if he should say what he was thinking, but if it had anything to do with CTU he thought he better, "I thought it was kind of funny. There was this guy they had me fly down there. I didn't know what I was getting into when I accepted the deal. They told me I'd fly this guy down there and he would go with a woman. They forced the guy though. When he got to the airport up there they had him change and gunpoint and I had the clothes for him. Than when we landed he fought them and one of the guys knocked him out and cuffed him. Threw him in the back of a black Van. They said if I said anything they'd know and they'd come back for me. That's why I didn't contact to police or anything. I'm just a small business man I didn't want any trouble."  
  
"Sir do you know where in Mexico you landed?"  
  
"No it was just over the bordered. As soon as I crossed I started my descent and than we landed where the flares were."  
  
"Do you know what the man's name was?"  
  
"Yeah it was Jack. The woman knew him. She called him by name when he landed."  
  
"Sir do you have email?"  
  
"Yeah its p-i-l-o-t-n-u-m-1-@msn.com"  
  
"Ok. I'm going to email you a picture let me know if this is the woman you saw."  
  
"Ok. Let me get my computer turned on."  
  
Chase walked into the room. Tony motioned for him to sit down. Tony put the phone down and said, "Chase we have a lead on Jack if we get a location you and I and a team are going in to get him. Hopefully he's still alive. He did meet with Nina and some others. From what the pilot says they wanted Jack alive because they knocked him out and didn't kill him on the spot. So that has to be good."  
  
The pilot got back on. "Yap that's her. She has longer hair, but that's her."  
  
"Thank you sir. I'm going to send some people from the FBI office there to take your statement and see if you can describe anybody else. They'll be over soon."  
  
"Ok glad to help. Sorry I should have called the cops. But I have a wife and daughter and I don't want to get them hurt."  
  
"I understand sir you did the right thing."  
  
4:50 a.m.  
  
When his mind finally cleared and the majority of the pain cleared he saw he was still in the room and still hanging. He cursed silently to himself. Nina and Treadstone were sitting at the table talking quietly. He heard the president's name before they noticed he was awake. Chris came into the room followed by a guy carrying a tub fool of what looked like ice, but it sloshed around some so there must have been some water in it.  
  
"Good your awake we can began with the fun again." Taking the knife off the table the short man had the person who helped him carry the tub of ice in cut Jack down. Jack fell to the ground with a thud and a groan.  
  
The short man grabbed Jack by the arms and pulled him over to the bucket of ice water. Grabbing Jacks hair he shoved Jacks head into the freezing ice with just enough water to keep it freezing. He held Jacks under for a minute. Jack fought to push his head up, but was too weak to fight Chris. He was more powerful than what he looked like. Pulling Jacks up he asked, "What do you know about Treadstone Jack? Tell me and I'll stop."  
  
Jack did not answer. And again the man shoved Jacks head into the water. This time holding it under for even longer. When his head reemerged from the water Jack gasped for air. Immediately after he got one breath of air the man pushed his head back under. While under this time Jack lost his breath and began to suck in water. When he reemerged he was coughing up water. The water was so cold that his head was numb. His entire body shacked from the coldness. "Jack what do you know about Treadstone?"  
  
4:57 4:58 4:59 


	6. 5:00 6:00 am Revised

The following occurs between 5:00 and 6:00 a.m. The events occur in somewhat real time.  
  
5:00 a.m.  
  
"Chase, see if you can find a satellite that was photographing that area around the time the plane landed. You might want to contact immigration they would know if there was one around that time." Tony ordered. "Where going to find him." Tony said mostly for himself. He and Jack in the beginning didn't see eye to eye, but after the past few years events he has gained respect for Jack. He knew the world needs Jack Bauer. He got the impossible done. No one was willing to sacrifices as much as he did.  
  
Chase walked down the steps to the main floor of CTU. He told Kim that they had a good lead, and asked her for help calling the different places that could possibly have a satellite taking pictures over that part of the Mexico-U.S. border.  
  
5:05 a.m.  
  
"Common Jack tell me what you know about Treadstone? It's early in the day we don't want to have to do this forever do we. Do you really want to see how long you can hold your breath for? Cuz I'm not really interested in finding out, but if we have to. You know Nina is sitting there enjoying you going through this torment. You are pleasing her by doing this. You are making the woman who killed your wife happy Jack? What do you think your wife would say about that?" Chris said, trying to get into Jacks mind and break him down.  
  
"Don't bri-i-n-n-g-g Teri" gasping for breath and lips trembling from the cold, "into this." Jack said through clenched teeth and trembling lips. Jacks lips were changing colors they were almost blue now.  
  
"Fine Jack your choice." Chris said as he pushed Jacks head back into the cold water. After five minutes he pulled Jacks head up.  
  
As his head emerged from the water Jack spit up water and began to cough uncontrollably.  
  
"Ok enough of the water for now." Treadstone order as he could see the color in Jacks faces had drained.  
  
"Help me put him on the table." The man ordered Nina.  
  
Together they struggled to pick Jacks tense trembling body off the floor to put him on the table. If Jack had the energy he would have tried to fight, he was colder than he had ever been in his life. He could feel himself slowly giving in. Each time it was harder not to say anything. He knew he was reaching his limit. He just wasn't sure how long it would take.  
  
The short man grasped the knife off the cart and looked at Jack. "Jack what do you know about Treadstone? I don't really want to have to start cutting, I'm not really good at it, but you have to give me something to stop."  
  
Jack looked at him. He couldn't muster the strength to glare. He was still trembling and if laughing would not have caused pain he would have laughed at the situation. Here he was trembling for the first time in his life, but not from fear instead from being freezing cold.  
  
Nina broke in, "Damn it Jack. How much to you have to go through before you will see it's not worth it. Nothing is worth this. Even you know that. What are you fighting for? The country that turned its back on you after you struggled to save your family. Yeah you broke protocol but you were trying to not only save your families life, the presidents, and stop Victor Drazen. Or are you fighting for the country that didn't even thank you after you saved them from a nuclear bomb. You suffered through torture to save them, and you died for them. Or what about the country that asked you to go undercover with the Salazars where you lost a piece of your soul. The soul that you had lost most of already when your wife died. Is it the country that turned its back on you when they found out you had a drug problem? Is it worth it Jack? Is it worth the nights were you wake up in a cold sweat because of all the people you have killed for your country haunt you, and now your wife who you feel guilty for her death haunts you. Is it worth it Jack?" Nina yelled trying to get through to him. She knew she hit something because he did not make eye contact with her nor did he answer her. He just lay on the table and closed his eyes.  
  
Chris took the knife and inserted it an inch into Jacks lower left abdomen area. Jack screamed out in pain. The man did it three more times before he set the bloody knife down. "I told you I was bad with the knife it took me four times to get it right." He said smiling to himself. He went to the door and asked the guard loud enough so that Jack could hear it, "I need a gallon of gasoline, and a cup of butter melted. Get me the gas first."  
  
"Yes sir", the man answered.  
  
"Jack you're not looking so well. Here let me try something." Chris said as he stuck his fingers into one of the inch long and inch deep incisions. Jack screamed in pain gasping for breath. His mind could not focus on anything but the pain.  
  
The guard returned with a milk jug full of gasoline. "Thank you." Chris said to the guard. He walked over to Jack on the table and said, "Now this is going to sting." He took the cap off the milk jug and poured out the gasoline all over Jacks lower abdomen. The gas seeped into the cuts and burned like someone was sticking red hot pokers in him. Jack screamed in pain and his eyes bulged. The pain did not subside when the man stopped pouring. It increased with the oxygen pulling into the wounds.  
  
"Jack tell me what you know about Treadstone?"  
  
Jack couldn't hold on any longer. The pain was killing him and in truth who was he holding out for. Would they thank him if he made it out alive?  
  
"Jack tell me what you know or I'll have my friend go get your daughter, Kim. I don't think she'll like this as much as you seem to.  
  
5:30  
  
The Chief of staff sat in the CTU conference room wondering why he was put on such an unimportant matter. Jack Bauer was an agent and while his being captured was a horrible thing, why was CTU only focusing on that. There was possible threat and half of the staff was running down leads as to where Jack Bauer was. He had asked the president and the president got mad at him. He knew the president was letting his feelings for Jack Bauer cloud his judgment. He had called the president every hour like he was suppose to and he reported on what has happened. What very little has happened in the time since he last called.  
  
"Mr. President. We have a possible way to track Mr. Bauer. They are hoping to catch him on a satellite. They know where the plane landed and they know Nina Myers was there. They have talked to the pilot and he has described some of the people he encountered. There should be drawling of them in a few hours. None of them, we believe, were the leader of Treadstone. We are not even sure if this has anything to do with Treadstone. Mr. President I think we are not going about this the right way sir. We are putting all our hope that Jack will not only escape, but know what Treadstone is up to. I think we should divert most of our attention to trying to figure out what Treadstone is up to?"  
  
"And how are we going to figure that out?" Palmer asked in a harsh tone.  
  
"I don't know sir."  
  
"That's correct we don't know. We have no resources that can tell us exactly what is going to happen besides Nina Myers. And she has Jack Bauer. He is our only lead right now to knowing what Treadstone is planning. That is why all of our resources are in finding him, and Nina Myers. This is not just because Jack is my friend and America owes him a lot."  
  
5:35 a.m.  
  
Jack gasped for breath. He couldn't clear his head enough to think about what the man had said. He wanted to quit tell them what they wanted, he had no reason to hold out Nina was right, but he never quit. Though the problem was he didn't know if there was a real threat to Kim. He was willing to allow them to hurt him, but he would not sacrifice Kim, he would not chance it. She has gone through so much, and he was not going to make her go through more. He gasped again. He than opened his mouth and the words began to poor out.  
  
"I'll tell you what we know about Treadstone." Jack said as the man walked over to the table with the matches that were on the tray.  
  
"What do you know?" Treadstone asked eagerly. He never thought this would have happened. Everyone does have a breaking point, but he wasn't so sure about it with Jack.  
  
Gasping for air after every other word Jack managed to say, "You have . . . to leave . . . my daughter alone. . . She has . . . nothing to do . . . with this."  
  
"We will tell me what you know?" Treadstone said now standing over Jack.  
  
"It's an organization . . . that is uniting . . . terrorist groups together. The leader . . . the leader is . . . is unknown man."  
  
"Is that it?" The short man asked.  
  
"That's all we know . . . I swear."  
  
"How did you get that information?"  
  
"I don't . . . know our sources. I'm . . . I'm only. . . field ops not information."  
  
"He's telling the truth he wouldn't know incase of something like this occurred." Nina confirmed.  
  
"There has to be more than that. They have to have sources. They would not send him down here on your word." Treadstone said.  
  
"Even if there was information about us meeting Jack would not know where it came from. They do not give that information to Field Ops. and he is no longer the director of CTU. He would not have this information." Nina didn't know why she was standing up for Jack. She should have kept her mouth shut and let them torture him more he deserved it all. Because of all the times he's tortured people and all the times he has brought their family into it. His family deserved the same. But at the same time she remembered Kim before all of it. When she was happy and how much she meant to Jack. Nina remembered the nights her and Jack spent together while he and Teri were separated. His tender loving touch and the ecstasy of him being in her all flooded back to her memory. She knew how much Kim meant to Jack and she could hurt Jack, but she could not hurt Kim; she was innocent. On top of it all she knew he had to be down if he had broke and told them the information. She knew believed, for the most part, never kick a man when he was down, and Jack had to be down low right now to give in.  
  
"Fine. I'll accept it for now. Put him on the mattress. Well do something with him later. Nina give me your gun. Your going to stay in here and watch him." Treadstone ordered.  
  
Reluctantly Nina handed over her gun to the powerful man. She didn't like the idea of giving it up. Nor did she like the idea of being locked in the room with Jack. Something was wrong with the situation, and she believed that when they were going to get rid of Jack she was going to join him in the same dirt hole. The thought of dying was not pleasing to her. She waited a few moments after they left and she walked over to Jack who was passed out now. She gently shook him to try to wake him. Than she grabbed his rib cage with one hand and covered his mouth with another. He let out a scream of pain that was muffled by her hand.  
  
"Jack. Stay awake listen to me. We have to get out of here. They're going to kill both of us. And as much as I don't want to help you I need you to escape. They still think you know more, and I can use you to leave. Can you stand up?"  
  
Jack looked at her. He saw the fear in her eyes and enjoyed it. If he was going to die he wanted to die knowing he killed Nina, and if that meant sacrificing himself that was fine. "F**K you Nina."  
  
"Jack you might want to join your dead wife, but I don't." She knew when she said that it was the wrong thing. Angered flashed through Jacks face and in his eyes there was pure hatred that made them seem to glow. "Sorry. You don't want to make Kim have to live without a father do you? Do you really want to give up and let all of those people die? I know what they are planning. If you help me get out of here I'll tell you in exchanged for letting me leave."  
  
Jack knew she was right. He had to get up to save the world again. They wouldn't even let him give up after they have taken everything from him. Jack whispered, "I can't move with the rope on."  
  
Nina began to try to untie the rope. She could see the pain in Jacks eyes as she pulled the rope out of his skin, as it had embedded itself in it from the weight of his hanging and the tightness of the rope around his hands. When she got it off she said, "Ok. They aren't just going to open the door for me. Can you fake something? A heart attack or something."  
  
Jack looked at her and than started to go into convulsions as if he were having a seizures.  
  
Nina went to the door and began to bang on it screaming, "Open the fucking door. Something's wrong with him. He is convulsing I think he is having a reaction to the venom. If you don't open the door he's going to die and Treadstone is going to kill you for that. This man still has information he wants." 5:57 5:58 5:59 


	7. 6:00 7:00 am Revised

Author Notes: Usually I don't use this because it would be too organized and pre planed. But I'm introducing a new character and since he is going to play an important role I guess I should give background on him. Dan is a CTU agent that got transferred over after season three. He works with Chloe, Jacks assistant this year, to help with the tracking of Jack and Chase. He was sent over to watch Jack by Chappell. That's all I know now and don't be surprised if it ends up changing in the end. Oh! Almost forgot OVERUNDERSTANDING ROCKS. Lyrics from their first CD is included in this. OH DISLCAIMER: None of the characters in this story besides those I make up are actually mine they belong to fox and whoever. You get the point.  
  
The following events occur between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. The events occur in somewhat real time.  
  
6:00 a.m.  
  
Treadstone took out his cell phone and dialed the number he had memorized. The phone rang three times before someone answered.  
  
"CTU. Dan speaking."  
  
"Dan can you talk?"  
  
Dan recognized the voice and looked around to see if anyone was in the room. Chloe was there, but she was to busy to notice him. "Yeah."  
  
"We have Bauer. We broke him, but he and Nina both said he would not know the sources where the information came from. You said he would. I need to know the sources so I can kill them. So why doesn't he know or are they lying to me?"  
  
"Sir he should know. They do usually keep those things from Field Ops but Jack and Tony are friends, and Tony knows Jack likes to know all the information in the mission and were it came from incase he needs to double check it while he's in the field. He should know." Dan whispered into the phone so that Chloe wouldn't notice. She didn't seem to notice him, but he would not talk again while she is in the room.  
  
"Fine. You better hope for your sake. I don't want to have to tell Jack there's another mole in CTU." Treadstone said in anger as he hung up the phone.  
  
"Shit. He's lying to us, him and Nina both. I knew I shouldn't have trusted that b$@ch. I should have killed her as soon as I heard she called Bauer. When we're done I want you to kill them both. PAINFULY." Treadstone ordered Chris.  
  
6:05  
The guard looked into the room to see why Nina was screaming. He had orders not to open the door for her, but it did look like Bauer was convulsing. He was shaking all over the place and in the condition he was in he would not be doing that for the heck of it because it would have hurt to much. The guard made a split second decision; he was trained as an EMT before he joined Treadstone to fight for the cause. So he could start to handle it until the doctor got here. He radioed that Jack of was having convulsions and they needed a doctor here. He opened the door and ran over to Jack on the mattress.  
  
Before he could react Nina smashed him over the head with a chair. She took his gun, radio, and cell phone. "Common Jack we gotta go!" Nina said as she bent down to help him up. "Can you walk or do you need help?"  
  
"I don't know!" Jack said through clench teeth as every movement of his body made him want to pass out, but he fought to keep from doing so.  
  
Holding a gun in one hand and trying to hold Jack up in the other Nina started to walk out of the room when another guard appeared. She fired two shots hitting the guard in the chest. She leaned Jack against the wall and went to grab another gun. She ran back grabbed Jack and handed him a gun. "If you have to use it. Just not on me. Remember we have a deal."  
  
Jack took the gun and let it hang at his side with his arm. He knew he needed her to get out of here alive and out of Mexico. He was in no shape to try it himself, and as much as he hated it he had to rely on her.  
  
They walked down the corridor and turned the right direction to lead them to the steps. At the steps there were four guys waiting for them. Both Jack and Nina fired at the same time killing the men. They managed after some struggle to get up the stairs. And to their luck the black Van was still inside the barn. Nina walked to the back of the van opened it and helped Jack into the back. She ran to the front and smiled as she saw the keys in the ignition. Starting the van she pushed down on the pedal and the van emerged through the barn doors. Shattering them as it went through. They were almost out of here. As she drove down the dirt road leading to main road men began to fire at the back of the van. She heard Jack moan in pain.  
  
Jack felt a sharp hot pain erupt in his right side. He moaned in pain as he reached his hand and felt down to were the pain was. Warm blood seeped out of the bullet wound.  
  
"Jack what's going on back there?" Nina said nervously.  
  
"I'm hit. F**K. I think it's just a flesh wound. I should be fine as long as we stop soon so that I can get the bleeding to stop." Jack said through clench teeth because it hurt.  
  
6:20 a.m.  
  
Kim was tired. She had been working for a day straight already and all she wanted to do was go home and sleep. She was worried about her father, but at the same time she was pissed at him for lying to her. She was tired of him always put himself at risk. He never understood how much he meant to her. He was never there when she was child and after her mother died he turned cold to everyone. She had hope that Kate might be able to bring some of the light back to his heart, but it only made him turn darker. Than he went on the mission with the Salazar's and she lost him than. He withdrew from everyone. No one knew he had a drug problem, and everyone understood when they found out why he had the problem. He didn't turn to anyone for help, and he lied to her and that hurt her.  
  
She was at the point where she could no longer sit by and watch her father try to kill himself. When her mother first died she was scared for him because he would sit there and stare at the desk draw with the gun in it. She knew what he was thinking, but he never did it. No he had to kill himself the hard way. Taking missions where he may not come back alive, flying nuclear bombs over the desert to explode, and now risking everything to get information from the woman who killed her mother. When he came back she was going to talk to him, and depending on how he reacts she may give up on him.  
  
Michelle walked over to Kim who was staring at the screen of her computer, but not typing anything. "Kim why don't you go home. You've been here since yesterday. Why don't you and Chase leave for a few hours and go relax. We can handle things here. I know you want to be here for your father, but you look like hell and you need to take sometime off. Both you and Chase."  
  
"I know Michelle, but I can't leave with this still going on. It doesn't matter where I am I'll still worry about him."  
  
"I know. But you need to go home and rest. Leave for a couple of hours and than come back. I'll call you if anything happens."  
  
"Ok. I need to eat something anyways." Kim said as she got up and went to get her coat.  
  
Michelle had already talked to Chase and told him to go home with Kim and try to get her to relax some. She didn't want to send Kim home alone incase something happened, and Chase was only looking for a satellite which she could do herself.  
  
The couple walked out together and Chase opened the door for Kim to his Ford F-150. They drove off in the early mourning hours to go home.  
  
6:30  
  
Chris ran up to Treadstone. He did not want to be the one to tell Treadstone, but no one else would. "Sir they escaped."  
  
"What? How did this happen?" Treadstone said as his face turned beat read with anger.  
  
"I'm not sure sir. The guard radioed that Jack was having a heart attack and know Jack's past that was possible, but somehow Nina got both of them out of here. She took the van. We are trying to chase after them, but we lost them before the sun came up and were still trying to find them.  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
Nina was happy the lost the guys finally. She drove off the road hoping to be able to cross the boarder. They were only about twenty minutes from the border so she should be driving across it soon. She grabbed the cell phone she took off the guard and called Tony. The phone rang five times before he answered.  
  
"Almeida"  
  
"Tony don't hang up or scream"  
  
Tony knew the voice as soon as it spoke. "Where's Jack? What have you done with him?"  
  
"He's here in the back. I got him. He's fucked up though. I didn't do it Treadstone did. Don't let anyone know I called. CTU has a mole and I'm not sure who it is. We are going to stop off at a hotel as soon as we cross the boarder which should be any moment now. I'm going to get Jack squared away and than I'll call you back. The deal is that I help Jack escape and tell you what Treadstone is planning and you let me go. I'll tell Jack and give him all the details and leave him at the hotel for you to pick up. As soon as I can leave him I'll call you with his whereabouts." Nina said and than turned the phone off.  
  
"Jack you still with me back there?" Nina asked as she drove. She hadn't heard from him in awhile and was worried. He didn't answer her. She looked back and saw that his chest was moving up and down so he wasn't dead. That was a good sign. She drove across the boarder and went a few more miles before she saw a hotel.  
  
Pulling into the parking lot she parked the van in front of the hotel office. She went inside and rang the bell hoping that someone was there at this hour in the mourning. After a few moments someone emerged from the back.  
  
"How may I help you?" The man asked.  
  
"I need a room for today only. My husband and I need to take a break before we head back up to L.A. How much will that be?" Nina said.  
  
"Sixty. All we have left is singles. Will that be ok?"  
  
"Of course. Do you have one on the first floor? My husband is afraid of heights, really afraid."  
  
"Yeah room 106. I just need you to feel this out." The man said as he pushed across an index card asking for name, credit card number, and other miscellaneous information.  
  
Using a fake name and credit card number Nina filled out the index card and pushed across to the hotel man and gave him a hundred. "If anyone asks we weren't here. Ok? You haven't had anyone new today yet. It's important husband out there is a FBI agent and this is are first vacation in years and we don't want anyone to bother us. So you never saw me Ok?"  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
Nina new that the man might keep it a secret but she didn't care because once she got Jack to where she could leave him without worrying about him dying he was on his own. She shouldn't even be helping him. She should have left him in the van and took the next flight out of the U.S. The longer she stayed the more she felt like she'd never leave.  
  
She walked back out to the van and pulled it in front of her room. She backed it in so it would be less of a distance to move Jack into the room. She opened the back grabbed the sleeping Jack and pulled him out of the van. Grabbing his arms and putting on around her before she pulled him out of the van. She walked to the room, balanced Jack against her and tried to open the door. She got the door opened and carried Jack into the room laying his almost lifeless body on the bed. She took his shoes, shocks, and paints off; leaving only his boxers on him. She checked the gunshot wound. He was right that it wasn't too serious it just had to stop bleeding. His chest was all sorts of purple and clearly painful.  
  
She walked outside and closed and locked the door. She drove the van a few miles away and parked it in a Wal-Mart parking lot. She ran inside of Wal-Mart and bought two first aid kits, and a bottle of peroxide. She caught a taxi back to the hotel. When she unlocked the door and found Jack where she left him lying on the bed.  
  
She walked over to him and looked at him. His face was covered in blood, his chest was purple and red from bruises and blood, but at the same time he looked so peaceful. He looked like he use to after they got done making love. He would fall asleep and his face would have this happy peaceful look on it. When you saw him sleeping you would not believe it was the same man that killed so many people, and suffered so much in his life.  
  
She walked into the bathroom and found a set of towels. She grabbed both set and turned the water on in the sink. She waited for it to turn warm and than she wetted one of the towels with the warm water. She went to Jack and began to wipe the blood off his face and chest. She must have wiped too ruff around the knife incisions because his body tensed for a second and then went limp again. After she wiped the blood away from the cuts she gently began to wipe around the bullet wound. It had entered through the front and exited out the back. Jack was right it didn't hit anything important, just a flesh wound and she figured as long as she could stop the bleeding he'd be ok. She took the bottle of peroxide and poured it first on the cuts and when she did Jacks eyes opened and he screeched in pain. Nina tried to hold him down the best she could, and she told him, "This is going to hurt worse, but I have to disinfect it. Hold on." She said as she poured the rest of the bottle on the gunshot wound. Jacks back arched in pain and his eyes bulged for a second and than he fell back asleep. Nina went to dressing the wounds. His wrists were really bad, she wiped them softly with the warm towel, but she did not want to put peroxide on them. She wrapped his hands and wrist in gaze.  
  
When she finished she noticed how tired she was. There was no where else to lie down do she locked the door, and laid on the bed next to Jack. She couldn't remember the last time they lay together in a bed, but it felt good. Sometimes she wished she could erase the past. Other times she wondered what it would have been like if she meant Jack before he meant Teri. She fell asleep contemplating these worthless thoughts.  
  
6:55 a.m.  
  
When they reached home Kim went to the CD player and put on the CD she bought a week ago, and has still not listened to. Chase would tease her about her music taste because he liked country and she liked everything, but country and gospel music. When she felt like she did today music like OverUnderStanding soothed her. She sat on the chair and listened to the lyrics that meant so much to her.  
  
When life isn't just what you need You go just go from point A to B The world is so slow You don't know which direction you will go  
  
You wonder why life is like this You ask if your life is helpless All you can do is look up and say Will there be any skies in the cloud today Why is it so cloudy today What is it that makes me feel this way It turns my dreams to nightmares It makes my pain come down like rain  
  
Now trepid puddles line the streets The water soaks right through your feet Cars pass you by Filled with couples that make you want to cry You ponder all your bad choices And listen to there voices When they tell you to say Will there be any sky's in the cloud today  
  
Why is it so cloudy today What is it that makes feel this way It turns my ladders into slides and my mistakes into my guides It makes my pain Come down like rain  
  
I swimming in my tears And hiding behind my fears I'm hanging on to dreams that I hold dear Because my situation clear That I'm drowning in this pain I've no where to place my aim All these hearts are roundless slaves My pain comes down like pouring rain This flood of tears can not be tamed My heart will always go unflammed.  
  
Chase stood in the doorway and watched the woman he loved cry silently to herself. He wanted so bad to go over and hold her and promise here everything will be fine, but he knew if he interrupted she'd stop letting her feelings out. So he sat and watched as his heart broke with hers.  
  
6:57 6:58 6:59 


	8. 7:00 8:00 am Revised

Author input: PLEASE understand that I may speak English as a first language, but it is not my language of choice. It is to fricking confusing. So there are TONS of grammar errors and that is why I am writing on FAN FICTION and not somewhere else. So please understand for the dyslexic people of the world grammar sucks and I know it all to well. So just try to ignore the grammar and misspellings. Of course the song The Dance is not mine nor any of the characters.  
  
The following occurs between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. The events occur in somewhat real time.  
  
7:00 a.m.  
  
Tony made eye contact with Michelle and motioned for her to come join him in his office. As he waited for her to walk up, he contemplated what Nina told him. Could this be some sort of trap or something? Why would she help Jack out and give them the information. She could just leave Jack there and escape, and if Jack is as bad as she said he was than he had to slow her down. He never understood those two. Before the incident, the night she killed Teri, they had some weird relationship. It was more than friends but not sexual, at least not anymore because Jack was with is wife and Nina was with him.  
  
Michelle walked into the office and asked, "Yeah. What do you need me for?"  
  
"I just got a call from Nina Myers. I've been thinking about it for awhile and it is weird. She helped Jack escape. She has him somewhere just north of the border. She said he was pretty messed up and she would tell him what she new about the Treadstone threat as soon as she could leave him alone. Which means she is worried about him and is staying with him. Not killing him, not leaving him for dead. Waiting?"  
  
"That is weird. I figured she was the one holding him. Working with Treadstone at least." Michelle answered.  
  
"Yeah. She said there's a mole at CTU too. So I'm going to follow her advice and not tell anyone we have made contact with them. Keep this to yourself. We'll play it out and see what happens. Where's Chase?"  
  
"I sent him and Kim home. They both looked horrible, and I didn't want Kim to go home alone."  
  
"Ok. I'm going to go get him. We're going to take the helicopter south. I figure that Nina drove close to straight line, so if we can check the cities just north of where the plane landed we might be able to fine them."  
  
"Do you really need to go? You and Nina have a past too."  
  
"I know, but it takes two people and I'm sure I can trust Chase with the information. I know it will look weird with me leaving. So I have to find an excuse to leave."  
  
"The babysitter had to leave for school, and you needed to take off some time to catch up on sleep so you're going home to watch Jack, until my mom can pick him up."  
  
"Ok it might work. I'll call you as soon as I got Chase. Can you call a helicopter for me? Have them pick us up at the airport Jack took off from." A real weird thought came to Tony's head. Jack never asked about Michelle and Tony's son. When Michelle had there child she decided to name him Jack. They owed Jack so much that it seemed natural that they name their child Jack. Because Jack saved them so many times in and made it happen so that they could have a child. Jack still didn't know their sons name. Sometimes Tony wished that his wife hadn't of chosen that name, but it was her choice in the end.  
  
"Yeah I'll handle it."  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Treadstone dialed the memorized number again. This time the phone only rang once and Dan answered.  
  
"CTU Dan."  
  
"Dan do you know where Jack and Nina are?" Treadstone asked as soon as the n left Dan's mouth.  
  
"They're still missing from before."  
  
"No they're not. They escaped. You don't know that?"  
  
"No sir. They haven't called in. Not that I know of."  
  
"Well you better find out. Call me back when you know something. Damn it what do I pay you for." Treadstone said in a noticeably reserved voice hiding the anger and fear in his voice. No one until now knew what he looked like in the intelligence community. If Jack makes it back he'll be able to identify him. Possibly even give a good description of him for an artist to draw.  
  
7:10  
  
Jack in his unconscious mind felt someone head on his shoulder. It made his mind think about the last time him and Teri laid in bed together. He missed that affection. A part of his heart craved that affection again. He missed having that feeling knowing that there is a person at home who loves him, not because he is their father, but because they choose too. But at the same time he didn't want to have to deal with the pain again. It was like the devil and the angel setting on his shoulders telling him what to do, and he could not choose between them. In the end Kate seemed to understand that, and that is probably why she left because he couldn't love her the way she wanted.  
  
His mind slowly coming back to reality, his eyes opened and he noticed Nina laying on him. For a second his mind thought that the past few years have all been a bad dream and he and Teri never got back and he and Nina were still together. But than he knew that it was all true. The pain hit him again all at once. The thought of lying in bed with the woman who killed his wife made him want to throw up. He felt sick to his stomach so he tried to slide out of the bed and get on his feet. When he sat up the pain rushed into his body and he made a slight groan. He tried to stand up, but his legs would not support his body so he ended up falling to the ground. When he hit he must have groaned out in pain because Nina woke up. She sat up quickly not seeing Jack next to her she feared the worse, but than she saw him on the ground holding his side trying to get up.  
  
"What are you doing you idiot?" Nina said in angry voice, but she wasn't really angry but she feared if she showed her real emotions he'd know she actually cared for him. She didn't know why she cared for him? Was it seeing him break down, seeing him when he was vulnerable? Or was it just the longing for the great sex they use to have.  
  
"I wanted to get off the bed. Away from you." He said back trying not to show the obvious pain he was in.  
  
"Really. I always knew you weren't all that bright. Here let me help you get back up. If you want you can sit in a damn chair for all I care. Just as long as you don't break that damn wound open. Cuz I'm not fixing it again."  
  
She walked over and picked Jack up, with his help she got him to the chair that sat against the wall by the bathroom facing the window. "We have work to do anyways. The deal is I tell you about the plans of Treadstone and in return I leave. Once I'm clear of this place I'll call Tony and tell him where to pick you up. The man with the Russian accent is . . ."  
  
Jack interrupted, "Treadstone. An ex-KGB I believe. Trained by one of the cruelest Generals of the former Soviet Union."  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I ran into him once. I don't remember his real name. I was around Russia with Walsh it was when I first meant Walsh. Walsh and I ran into Treadstone. Walsh was undercover and told me about him. He was feared by the powers of Russia so much that they tried to kill him, and ever since he has been in exile."  
  
"Ok. You know about Treadstone, what about the organizations plans?" Nina inquired.  
  
"That I do not know." Jack said clutching his side. As every breath caused pain that he was struggling not to show it.  
  
"Later today is the State of the Union speech right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"They're going to bomb it or something. That way they not only take out the vast majority of our government, but the President also. Leaving only a few government officials left. But somehow they know where they are being taken so they are going to bomb both sites at the same time, wiping out the entire American government."  
  
Shocked at the ability of Treadstone to get information Jack said, "How do you know this?"  
  
"Because I was suppose to help out with some of it. Like getting the supplies they needed and giving them possible connections to help."  
  
"Do you know who the mole is at CTU?"  
  
"No. How do you know there's a mole?"  
  
"Just because it looks like I'm asleep, my brain is still working. I got to get back to CTU now. Does Tony know any of this?"  
  
"He knows about the mole that is if he believed me."  
  
"I got to get out of here. Where are my clothes?"  
  
"I took them off and got rid of them. Incase they put a tracker on you. I forgot to pick more up while I was at Wal-Mart. You still wearing the same size?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"I'll go get some now. Just wait here, I'll be back and I'll find a way to get you to CTU without compromising myself."  
  
"Nina?"  
  
"What Jack?"  
  
"Why are you helping? You could have easily left me there or dropped me off somewhere, but you haven't. So what is in it for you?"  
  
Nina walked out the door and locked it behind her. As she walked out she thought about the question herself. She did not know why she was helping. She thought every bit of humanity in her left the night she had to kill the man she loved wife.  
  
After Nina left Jack fought to get up to go to the phone. After a few minutes he made it to the bed. He had broken open the gunshot wound and blood was soaking through the bandaged. He dialed the number to CTU. The phone rang three times before someone answered it.  
  
He must have dialed the wrong number because Dan answered, "CTU Dan speaking."  
  
Not knowing who to trust Jack hung up the phone. He cleared his mind and dialed the number again. This time Michelle answered, "CTU Michelle."  
  
Trying to hide the pain he felt from the trip to the bed Jack said, "Michelle it's Jack. I'm not sure where I'm at. Nina helped me break out . . ."  
  
"Jack we know about Nina. Stay on the line I'm going trace the call."  
  
Jack heard some typing on the other end and than Michelle got back on, "Ok the trace should be done soon."  
  
Jack asked, "Does Kim know what happened?"  
  
"She knows you went to meet Nina other than that I don't know what Tony told her. She and Chase went home about an hour ago and Tony went to get Chase. After Nina called Tony wanted to fly down towards the boarder so as soon as she told us where you were at we could pick you up. He was even hoping to find you sooner."  
  
"Nina told me what's going on. Treadstone is going to attack the State of the Union Address tonight, and wherever they're taking the people who are not going because of the possible attack. You have to stop it tonight and get them spread apart. Tell the president I am positive she's telling the truth. Treadstone I've seen him before."  
  
"Ok Jack slow down. I got it all. I'll call the president as soon as Tony gets to where you are at till than I'm staying on the phone with you. Talk to me. Are you alright? Nina said you got messed up."  
  
"Yeah I'm fine. Don't worry. Is Kim ok? She must be pissed at me. I promised her I wouldn't do this again, but I had to."  
  
"I know Jack." Michelle heard a knock on the door on the other end of the line. She heard Jack get silent. She knew she had to find where he was at, and get Tony there now.  
  
She picked up her cell phone and called Tony. As soon as she heard the phone pick up she said, "Tony where are you at?"  
  
"Searching around the boarder looking for anything."  
  
"You have to land now. Jack called in. Nina is out doing something. She told him everything, but someone just knocked on the door and Jack got super silent. I think Treadstones men traced them to the hotel. I'm tracing it now. It's a Holiday inn. Right across the border. Ocean view."  
  
"I know where it's at we are a block from it know. I'll have the pilot land in an empty parking lot." Tony looked at the pilot and ordered him to land the helicopter in the empty parking lot of a Home Depo.  
  
"Gotta go Michelle." Tony said as he hung up the phone.  
  
7:40  
Jack sat on the bed trying not to make any noise hoping the men outside would figure it was an empty room, but he knew better than that. As soon as he set the phone down he heard a key hit the lock of the door. A moment later the door burst open and two men with a guns barged in. Yelling, "Jack put your hand up now. Where's Nina?"  
  
Jack sat on the bed he didn't move nor did he answer their question. A moment later the men searched the hotel and than closed the door. One of them walked up to Jack and pointed the gun at his head, pressing the barrel to his forehead.  
  
Jack had never got use to the feeling of the metal of a gun resting on his head. He looked at the guy. "I don't know where Nina went to. I woke up and she was gone."  
  
"Who were you talking to?"  
  
"CTU."  
  
"What did you tell them?"  
  
"Nothing. Didn't have a chance before you showed up."  
  
The man smashed Jack in the head with the gun knocking Jacks head against the wall. Jack felt the warmness of blood running down his head. The man who hit him ordered the other man, "Secure his hands."  
  
The other man walked over to the bed helped Jack up and than leaned Jack against the wall while he cuffed his hands behind his back. When he got done he turned Jack and pushed him on the bed. Jack hit the bed with a slight groan.  
  
One of the men relocked the door. The other took the blanket on the bed and covered Jack up so that it looked like he was sleeping on the bed. They both walked into the bathroom and waited for Nina to return. She had to return she left him behind. He knows where she went so she couldn't leave him behind.  
  
Nina was walking to the hotel when someone grabbed her. She knew the person from the incident with the Salazar's. It was Chase, Jacks partner. How did he know where she was at?  
  
Than she heard Tony say, "Nina don't try anything. Where's Jack? What room because Treadstones guys are there and I doubt they're checking up on him."  
  
Nina cursed to herself, "We had a deal Tony."  
  
"We have a deal. But if Jack dies you die. I have no problem killing you. What room is he in?"  
  
"Chase let go of my arm. I'll tell you when you let go of my arm."  
  
Chase let go of her arm, but was ready to run after her if he had to.  
  
"He's in 106. Lets go." Nina said as she pulled the gun out of her pants.  
  
"What do you think your doing? I'm not going in that place with you having a gun."  
  
"Tony if I wanted to kill Jack I would have already. If I wanted you dead that'd be easier. How is little Jack? How sweet you named him after the good old Jack. You have no choice. If you want to get Jack out you need me. They expect me back and the minute you walk in they're going to open fire killing Jack and you. If I walk in they'll call Treadstone and try to transport both of us back."  
  
"Fine. But if Jack dies you die."  
  
"You said that already."  
  
7:50  
  
When Michelle finally hung up the phone on which she was talking to Jack she walked down to the conference room, in which the Chief of Staff was working.  
  
"Sir, We know when and where the attacks will occur."  
  
"Attacks. I thought there was only going to be one."  
  
"Sir they are going to attack both the State of the Union speech and the places in which they are holding the people who are not going incase of the possible attack."  
  
"How do they know these locations?"  
  
"We believe that Treadstone has a great many spies in the government. We believe there is one here at CTU and more throughout the government."  
  
"I'll call the president. What about the agent Jack Bauer?"  
  
"We know where he is at, but some hostiles are there. Tony and Chase are trying to get him now."  
  
"Ok. I'll call the president."  
  
7:55  
  
Kim was still sitting in the chair that Chase had left her in. She had hope that her father would make it back again. She was rifling through the different CD's she had and she came across one that made her think of her mom and dad together. When she was a little child when her father came home he and her mom would dance together after Kim went to sleep. She would sneak back out and watch them from the steps. They always ended up listening to Garth Brooks The Dance. It must have been Chases CD, she put it in the CD player and listened to it.  
  
Looking back on the memory of The dance we shared beneath the stars above For a moment all the world was right How could I have known you'd ever say good bye And now I didn't know the way it all would end The way it would all go Our lives are better left to chance I could of miss the pain But I'd have to miss the dance Holding you I've held everything For a moment wasn't I the king If I'd only known how the king would fall Than whose to say You know I might have changed it all And know I'm glad I didn't know The way it would all end the way it would go Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain But I'd have to miss the dance Yes my life its better left to chance I could of miss the pain but I'd have to the miss the dance  
  
7:57 7:58 7:59 


	9. 8:00 9:00 am Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.  
  
8:00 a.m.  
  
Michelle picked up the phone on her desk and called Kim. She knew Kim had the right to know what was happening.  
  
Kim picked up on the second ring and Michelle could tell by her voice she had been crying. "Kim its Michelle. I wanted to tell you that we found your father. Tony and Chase are going to get him as we speak. Tony should have him in a few moments. Are you ok?"  
  
"Yeah I'm fine. That's great news. Where are they going to take him once they have him?"  
  
"Back to CTU. We need to debrief him and than he's free to go."  
  
"Ok I'm coming in. I know you'll need my help, and I'd like to be there when he gets in. And I need to talk to him as soon as he gets a moment."  
  
"That's fine Kim. I'll see you in a few."  
  
"Bye."  
  
8:05  
  
"This is how it's going to work. Nina you're going to go in first. After a few moments Chase and I will follow you in. Chase and I will take out whoever's in the room. Nina you get Jack on the floor and as safe as possible." Tony said as he figured out the plan himself.  
  
"Fine with me." Nina said.  
  
"Lets do it." Chase figured he should put some sort of input in.  
  
The three slowly walked towards the hotel. When they got close enough to see the room Chase and Tony sat back and watched Nina walk towards the hotel room. She still had the bag of clothes in her hand. But inside the bag she had a gun. It was all ready to fire all she had to do was pull the trigger. When she reached the door she took a deep breath and put the key in the lock and unlocked it. As soon as she walked in the two men came out of the bathroom with their guns pointed at her.  
  
"Nina dropped the bag and sit on the bed next to Jack." One of them ordered. Nina dropped the bag and walked over and sat next to Jack. When she sat she could see pain in his eyes. She could tell when she walked in that the bullet wound had been reopened and he got hit in the head pretty hard. When she sat down she started to stroke his head caringly. She didn't know why, but it felt right to do it, so she did it.  
  
She counted to ten before she grabbed Jacks arm yanking him off the bed towards the door. At the same moment Tony and Chase erupted through the door firing.  
  
They took both men out without a problem. Jack lay on the floor with Nina on top of him. He was gasping for breath because pulling him off the bed and hitting the floor caused much pain to vibrate through his body.  
  
"Jack are you OK?" Chase asked as he helped Nina stand.  
  
"Yeah." Jack said with the obviousness of pain in his voice. "Thanks guys."  
  
"No problem. What are partners for?" Chase said.  
  
"I hate to break up the reunion, but we have to get out of here." Nina said as she stood and looked at the dead men on the floor.  
  
"You're right. Did you get me clothes?"  
  
"They're in the bag."  
  
"Thanks." Jack said as Chase helped him stand. Tony tossed the bag to Jack who took the shirt out and pants. He put the shirt on and than put his legs in the pants and stood up, with some struggle, and pulled them up. Buttoning and zipping them. With the help of Chase he walked to the helicopter.  
  
Tony said to Nina, "You're choice you can fly back with us or you can take off from here?"  
  
Nina thought about it for a moment. If she flew back she probably would have to fight to get her way back out of the United States, but if she didn't go she was too close to Treadstone to escape without protection. "I'll come back, but you have to help me leave the country. I helped you. Now it's your turn."  
  
Tony looked at her, "I can't promise anything."  
  
"I'll take a possibility right now."  
  
"Fine." Tony said as he wondered how he ever loved this woman.  
  
8:20 a.m.  
  
President David Palmer sat in his office contemplating whether or not he should cancel the State of the Union address. There was know way of knowing exactly how they would attack or if they really would now that the information has gotten to CTU. He decided to call the speaker of the house to ask his opinion of what he should do.  
  
"Hello Zach. How are things?"  
  
"Fine Mr. President. How can I help you sir?"  
  
"I've just gotten information that there will be an attack on the State of the Union address and those who do not go will be attacked also. I wanted your opinion as to whether or not I should go ahead and have it, or cancel? As one of my closest friends what do you think I should do?"  
  
"Is the information from a good source sir?"  
  
"Yes Jack Bauer."  
  
"Than yes you should because you have the job of protecting American citizens and this would be doing just that."  
  
"Thank you. You'll have to come over one day for launch again. We haven't talked in how long?"  
  
"A few months sir."  
  
"Yes. Much to long. Call my secretary and have her schedule you in. Thanks Zach."  
  
8:25 a.m.  
  
The helicopter took off with no problem. In less than a half hour they would be back at CTU. Chase began to stare at Jack as he thought about how much this man could hurt his wife and in some way hurt him too, and not even know he's doing it. He knew Kim was having thoughts about her father. She wanted to give up on him, but she couldn't because he was his father. Chase feared that this might have been asking too much of her. Every time Jack took an assignment like this, Kim knew it was his way of trying to kill himself. Sometimes she thought that he no longer loved her because he was trying to give up and leave her. Jack couldn't give up the easy way either, he had to do everything the hard way, even suicide. So he continually took missions in which put him in extreme danger.  
  
Nina was looking over Jack trying to re-bandage the gun shoot wound to his lower abdomen. Chase did not understand those two at all. One moment they are trying to kill each other, the next Jack is begging her for help, than she's trying to kill him again, and now their helping each other. He did not understand how Jack could stand her touching him. The woman who killed his wife and caused so much pain in his life.  
  
Jack noticed Chase staring at him, and tried to pull himself away from Nina. "How's Kim?" He asked Chase.  
  
"She's hurt, and really pissed at you. I probably shouldn't have told you that, but you look like you might need a heads up."  
  
"Where is she at?"  
  
"I left her at home, but she probably went to CTU."  
  
Tony was on the phone with Michelle telling her everything went fine, and they had Jack and Nina in tow. Both were fine. He'd need a briefing room and a doctor for Jack.  
  
"Michelle, do you know where Kim is?" Tony asked.  
  
"She was on her way here that was about twenty minutes ago. She should be here any time. What is your ETA?"  
  
Tony tapped the shoulder of the pilot and asked, "What's our ETA?"  
  
"Fifteen minutes." The pilot yelled over the noise of the rotors.  
  
"Fifteen minutes. Is there any way we can get Nina and Jack in without anyone knowing? We still don't know who the mole is, and I don't think Kim should know Nina's there."  
  
"I'll set it up. How's Jack doing?"  
  
"He'll live."  
  
"That's good."  
  
"Yeah. Maybe we should have a talk with him after this. He needs to get help with this. It's been three years since her death and he still blames himself, and still tortures himself over it." Tony said while looking back at Jack who was conversing with Chase.  
  
"Yeah that'd be a good idea. Later though."  
  
"Ok I'm going to hang up were almost there."  
  
8:40 a.m.  
  
Kim walked into CTU and looked for Michelle on the main floor. After she couldn't find her she went up to her father's office. When she walked in she saw Dan, the new tech guy for Chase and Jack looking through a folder on Jack's desk.  
  
"What are you doing?" She said clearly surprising him.  
  
"I'm trying to find out some information I need for a report. Your father forgot the date on one of his reports and I figured if he made it back he'd want it done." Dan said scared that she might not believe him.  
  
"Ok. Next time ask someone. I'm sure he wouldn't be happy if he found that you were going through his desk. He's supposed to be back any moment now. Do you know where Michelle is?"  
  
"He got free from Nina?"  
  
"Yeah. Where's Michelle?"  
  
"I think she went to the restroom but I don't know."  
  
"Ok Thanks."  
  
8:45  
  
Michelle saw Kim and Dan up in Jacks offices. She walked up the steps to the office and asked Kim, "What are you guys doing in here?"  
  
"Sorry. We were talking."  
  
"Ok. Kim come with me."  
  
"Sure."  
  
Kim followed Michelle to Tony's office. "Kim can you do me a favor. I need to go meet Tony, but I need to finish backing up the data on these disk for Tony. Can you finish this for me while I go meet Tony."  
  
"I really wanted to see my father as soon as he got back."  
  
"Kim he needs medical help, but he's not that bad. And we have to debrief him first. As soon as we are done with that I will make sure you get to talk to him. I know you wanted to see him; maybe Chase can fill you in on how he is. He would know."  
  
"Ok. No problem I guess."  
  
8:50  
  
The helicopter touched down on the helipad on the top of the CTU building. Tony got out and helped Jack down, Nina and Chase followed close behind. They all went into the same elevator and rode it down to the first floor where they entered a conference room. "Jack and Nina wait here. I'll be back in a moment to take your reports. Do you want anything in the meantime?"  
  
"Some water please." Jack said.  
  
"Sure I'll be back with water and medical support. Chase come with me."  
  
Once he and Chase were out of the room Tony stopped and said, "Don't tell Kim Nina's here. If she asks tell her Nina escaped. I'm afraid what Kim might do if she finds out. Tell Michelle to join me here and bring some water. I'm going to baby-sit the two in there. I don't want either of them trying to kill each other. If Kim ask Jack is fine."  
  
"Sure. Hopefully she doesn't ask about Nina. I really hate lying to her."  
  
"I know."  
  
8:57 8:58 8:59 


	10. 9:00 10:00 am Revised

The following events occur between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.  
  
9:00 a.m.  
  
Treadstone phone began to ring in his pocket. For a moment it startled him because only three people had the number to the phone and he wasn't expecting any of them to call him.  
  
"Hello." He said incase it just happen to be a wrong number.  
  
"Treadstone it's me."  
  
He knew the voice automatically. This was the man that was colder than he was. This man was willing to kill or betray his own brother just to become President or even on lesser note to show that his brother is not smarter than he is, which of these things motivated him, Treadstone was not sure of, but as long as this man was on his side it didn't mater. "How may I help you?"  
  
"I'm going to help you. I know Jack and Nina escaped and they know the plans for tonight. I think we should go to plan B. But you already knew that. I can get you Jack, Nina, and Jacks daughter. She caught Dan rifling through Jacks papers, and if she mentions it to her father he'll know about Dan, and than Dan will give me up. So I'll find a way to get the three out of CTU and back into your custody. Have your guys meet our friend in the old capital building. Getting in is your responsibility I'll get you into the White House and show them how to take the Tunnels through." The voice said over the phone.  
  
"You truly are a man without a soul."  
  
"I know that's why you like me so much because I'm a reflection of yourself. And that's why you fear me because I'm loyal to none." The man said before he hung up the phone.  
  
A minute after he hung up the phone Dan came in with a cup of coffee for him. "Sir. Here's your coffee. Is everything going as planned?"  
  
"Yeah. Where still continuing with the plan. If David cancels the speech tonight we'll wait until he does give the speech." The man said trying not to give anymore information to Dan as possible. He did not like Dan nor did he trust him. There was something about someone who would betray the people they know for money. Money was not an important thing in life to him, and a person willing to sell their soul for it was not worth trusting.  
  
9:05  
  
Jack sat in a chair in the integration room wondering how he could be sitting back here with Nina. He had sworn to her he would kill her one day, and now he had to trust her, and had trusted her with his life. When the two guys first showed up he figured she called them, even if she did help him get free, she might have changed her mind. But now he sits in a room with her, trusting her more than he trust others. If she wanted him dead she could have done it, and that was a scary thought to think she saved him.  
  
A medical person from the clinic next door came into the room. When he looked at Jack he said, "You just can't stop from getting messed up once a year can you. I think they should just give you a person to follow you around. Fix you on the spot." The man said jokingly as it was known how much Jack has sacrificed and the wounds he has received over the past few years doing his job.  
  
The man began with Jacks wrist. After the man got done cleaning the wounds with alcohol, which Jack wrenched back in pain from, he put a lotion on them to help with the rope burn and than went on to bandage them. He next looked at Jacks gun shot wound. It was superficial, but having been broken open again it needed a new bandage. The rest of Jacks wounds were tended to and the medical man handed Jack a prescription of codeine. "Here take these, they'll help the pain. It looks like you have a few broken ribs and that's going to hurt more and more, but your lucky because none of them punctured your lung. But do not take them with any alcohol."  
  
The man exited the room as Tony and Michelle entered. "We need to know what's happened and what all you both know. Michelle will take Nina next door for interrogation. I'll take you Jack. As soon as I'm done Kim would like to see you."  
  
Michelle and Nina got up and walked to the room next door. Michelle praying that Kim did not come looking for her father. This was a disaster waiting to happen Michelle thought to herself.  
  
"Jack how are you doing?" Tony asked to begin with. He never felt quite comfortable debriefing Jack. Normally he wouldn't do it, but on the rare occasion he had to, like today when they did not know who to trust.  
  
"I'll live Tony. How's Kim? Does she know Nina's here?"  
  
"No she doesn't know Nina's here. I have Chase keeping her busy. And she's a little hurt Jack."  
  
After that Tony took Jack through all of what happened. Jack tried to describe Treadstone and everyone else he came in contact with. He backed up what the pilot had said. Michelle was doing the same thing with Nina.  
  
"Michelle you and Tony are married correct?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Did you know he went out with me right before?"  
  
"Yes. He told me. He was very reluctant to get into another relationship. But we're not here to talk about that." Michelle said with a hint of anger in her voice.  
  
Nina decided to leave that alone for now. She never really liked Tony, but she had to have someone to feel in for Jack while he was still with Teri. Had the events not occurred, Nina figured Jack would be back with her within a year. While Teri was his love, she could never understand his world. He couldn't tell her about the hard week/month in the office because she would not understand. Imagine if he told her "Honey I've had a bad month at work. Not only did my entire team get killed on a secret mission, but I killed one of the major officials in Kosovo. Victor Drazen." She would have been sickened by it.  
  
9:35  
  
President Palmer sat in his office, the oval office, and thought about the announcement he just made and the ramifications of canceling the State of the Union without allowing the American people to know the reason other than a National Security matter came up. In the past there has not been a single president he can think of that has canceled the State of the Union address. He was now in his second term of office and he was thinking of making it his last. He liked his job, but he had not time to spend with his growing children, nor did he have a private life. He and his girlfriend were now in the public eye and he couldn't even take her out to dinner because of the problem of security. He wanted to be normal again sometimes, but if the American people wanted him to run again he would. He has devoted his life to making America a better country and doing what the American people want so if they still wanted him he would continue.  
  
Palmer debated as to whether or not to call to see how Jack was doing. He knew that Tony went to get Jack, but not the condition of his friend. He felt bad for asking Jack to go back in and help them out, but he had to. He knew even just asking Jack would make him do it. He truly respected Jack because of his willingness to give up everything for his country. Sometimes Palmer thought the man was just crazy.  
  
Palmers secretary came over the intercom system on the phone and said, "Sir I have Mr. Almeida on the phone. He needs to know what you want him to do about a Nina Myers?"  
  
"Put him through."  
  
"Hello Mr. President. I believe that your Chief of Staff has already updated you on the situation with Jack?"  
  
"Some of it. But what's this about Nina Myers?"  
  
"Well, Mr. President it seems that Nina helped Jack escape. She even helped us when some of Treadstones people caught up with them at the hotel she took him to. She is the one who informed us of Treadstones plans. She wants to be let go in return."  
  
"But she did put Jack in the situation she helped him escape from correct?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Hold her until we are sure there will be no attack on the U.S. after that she is to be detained for her dealings with the virus and Salazar's last year."  
  
"Yes sir. Thank you sir."  
  
9:40  
  
After Tony got of the phone with the President he went down to Kim and told her she could see her father now. He walked her back to the conference room her father was resting in. He wanted to make sure that she stayed clear of the room Michelle and Nina were in.  
  
Kim walked into the room and saw her father whose face had a huge bruise on it. He looked almost as bad as he had the last time he had be captured and tortured by the businessman. She hugged her father and decided to wait to have her conversation with him until they got home. She would not let go of him until Chase walked into the room. She had almost completely lost her father so many times that she thought she'd be use to it by now, but she couldn't deal with it. She thought earlier that it would not effect her because she lost the man she use to know after her mothers death, and she once thought he would come back, but now she wasn't so sure of it.  
  
Tony walked back into the room and said, "Kim why don't you take your father home."  
  
Jack started to argue with Tony, but Tony interrupted him and said, "Jack you've been through hell again you need to rest. Look at you, you can barely walk. We have stopped the attack for today. Go home they'll still be here tomorrow. If anything happens you'll know because I'll call you. Chase take these two home."  
  
As they were exiting the room Kim heard the voice that made her blood run cold. Nina Myers was at CTU. Kim was infuriated she pushed past Tony and went into the room she heard Nina's voice coming from.  
  
"What's she doing here?" Kim said angrily at Michelle.  
  
"Kim your not suppose to be in here." Is all Michelle could say because she felt the same as Kim did. This woman caused so many people pain that she did not deserve to live, but Michelle was not the one to make those decisions.  
  
Nina said in her defense, "I saved your father."  
  
"You put him in that situation to begin with." Kim said trying not to lunge at Nina and try to rip her throat out.  
  
Jack hobbled into the room and grabbed Kim's arm, "Come on Kim. Lets go." He said gently.  
  
"No! This woman not only killed Mom, tried to kill you, but she helped Treadstone capture you and torture you. Why are you sticking up for her?"  
  
"Kim I'm not sticking up for her." Jack said with a hint of hurt in his voice that he couldn't hide. He hated Nina as much as Kim, but at the same time he could not kill her right now because she had saved him.  
  
"Dad I'm so tired of it. She gets away with everything and no one does anything about it. You all let her."  
  
"Kim please let's go." Chase said trying to stop her before she said something that she would regret or that would be the truth that would hurt Jack too much.  
  
Jack walked in front of his daughter. He was holding all of his feelings in, but inside it felt like someone had killed his wife again. He stood between Kim and Nina to make sure that Kim would not try to lunge at Nina because she would have not chance in a fight against Nina.  
  
"Kim she's not getting away this time. I promise you she'll be charged for her dealings with the Salazar's and the virus last year." Tony said trying to get Kim to walk out of the room.  
  
At that moment Nina got out of her chair and grabbed a knife she had hidden on a necklace in her shirt. She put the knife to Jacks throat, who was only a few feet away from her, before anyone could react. "What do you mean I am not going to get away this time? We had a deal. I help Jack out, tell you Treadstones plan, and than I'd go. I even came on good faith and answered your questions."  
  
"Nina put the knife down. There is no way out of here. If you leave you'll have Treadstone after you. He wants you dead you helped me escape." Jack said.  
  
"Well if I'm going to die minds as well take you with me than. But than I already killed you once didn't I Jack? Isn't that what you wanted to say Kim? I can see it in your eyes." Nina inquired. "Now Jack and I are walking out of here. Don't follow us. If you do I'll make him wish I killed him, and on the second time I will kill him."  
  
The two slowly walked to the elevators with Tony, Chase, Kim, and Michelle standing in the hallway watching them as they went. As soon as the elevator opened Nina and Jack entered and she pushed the button to take them to the parking garage. In the parking garage she found on of the many cars CTU used for field ops and other task. She knew inside under the passenger seat there was a key. She had Jack grab the key and open the trunk. In the trunk there was the standard issue 9 mm berretta and three clips of ammo. She grabbed the berretta and threw the knife in the trunk. Pointing the berretta at Jack she said, "You drive."  
  
Jack pulled out of the CTU underground parking garage and turned right as he was instructed to. As he drove down the road he asked, "Where are we going to?"  
  
"You still own the old house?"  
  
Jack wanted to say no, because he hadn't been there since the night Teri died. He could never get rid of the house, though, he just couldn't it was the one place that Teri still existed. Almost everything was the way she left it besides the fridge and cabinets that Kim and her Aunt cleaned out. Otherwise nothing was touched. "Yes."  
  
"That's where we are going."  
  
"Why there?"  
  
"I need a place to lay low for awhile. I need to get in contact with my people and get a way out of this country and into hiding. No one will expect us to be there."  
  
9:55  
  
As soon as the elevator closed Kim took off towards the steps with Chase in tow. Kim was running so hard and fast that even Chase couldn't catch up to her until she was in the lower garage and in her car getting ready to follow her father.  
  
"Kim what are you doing?" Chase yelled to her.  
  
"I'm going to get my father?"  
  
"She'll see you and kill him."  
  
"I'll have to take that chance. Now either get out of my way or I'm going to run you over."  
  
"Kim let me drive. I'm trained to follow people and be discrete about it. I'll take you to your father and we'll get him together."  
  
Kim knew he was right. She hopped out of her SUV and ran to the passenger side. As soon as her door closed Chase reversed the SUV and was on his way to follow Jack. It took a minute before they caught up to where they could actually see the car, a CTU car which they could tell by the green license plate numbers which started with C. They followed behind the car at a discreet distance. Nina never noticed them.  
  
9:57 9:58 9:59 


	11. 10:00 11:00 am Revised

The following events occur between the ours of 10:00 a.m. to 11: 00 a.m.  
  
10:00 a.m.  
  
Nina a Jack drove in silence. Jacks breath came in cold, and left his body hot this was his form of a panic attack. This always happened when he was nervous, and he was real nervous. He never wanted to go back to the house. He has tried for years now to avoid it and was successful until today. He drove the route and did not even know he was driving it. His mind knew the route and didn't need to function to get him there. It was like this invisible force had grabbed a hold of them and it was pulling them there. When he pulled into his old driveway his blood ran cold. The last time had had pulled into the drive way he sat in his car and cried for a half hour before he went inside, the night Teri died.  
  
When he got to the garage Nina told him to sit there. She knew in his state even if Jack tried to run he wouldn't make it far. She took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car and opened the garage, by using a key that hid on the top of the trim of the door. She opened the garage door and walked back to the SUV. She put the keys in the ignition and Jack drove inside, put the car in park, and turned it off. Nina got out and opened the back grabbing a suitcase that contained the standard things needed in the field like plastic cuffs and other useful things.  
  
10:15  
  
Kim and Chase were a block behind them, and when she saw them pull into the driveway her face flushed red in anger. She did not want Nina Myers intruding on the one place where she felt closes to her mother. Chase parked the SUV and said, "What now? Your not planning on going in there are you?"  
  
"Yes I am."  
  
"Damn it Kim. She'll kill you and possibly your father. You can't just walk in there. We can call CTU and they'll send people to help out."  
  
"No we can't. You and I both know there was a reason Tony didn't have those two in the interrogation rooms because he thinks there's a mole at CTU and if there is and we broadcast that they are here the bad guys will know where my father is and the can finish what they began earlier." Kim said in an even tone.  
  
10:20  
  
Jack and Nina took the back door into the house. When Jack first walked in his body tensed, and Nina could see the fear in his body language. She did not care though. She had to get free, and right now this was the last place anyone would expect them to be. Nina and Jack walked into the living room that was covered in dust. "Sit down." Nina said pointing towards the couch.  
  
Jack looked like a deer caught in the headlights. He was terrified. It took all of his control to keep his body from trembling. Everything came rushing back into his mind, the memory of him holding his dead wife in his arms, the time she told him she was pregnant with the child that died with her, and their honeymoon and wedding. Everything he blocked out came back to him. He would not let Nina see him cry or break down, but that's what his body wanted so bad and he fought.  
  
Nina went to the phone and picked it up. Nothing was on the line. She cursed silently to herself. "Jack do you have your cell-phone on you?"  
  
"No your guy took it before I got on the plane and Tony didn't get it back to me before we left."  
  
"Shit. Stand up." Nina said pointing the gun at Jack. She opened the brief case and got out a plastic cuff. She used it to secure Jacks hands behind his back and had him sit back down. "Do you need to take your pills the doctor gave you?"  
  
"No." Jack said with a new hint of anger in his voice. Being back in the house allowed him to regain all the anger he had towards Nina. No matter what she did she would never make up for killing his wife.  
  
Nina walked out of the living room and went to look around the rest of the house. She had never actually been in Jack's house. When they were together he was living in a hotel because of the separation.  
  
As Nina was checking out the rest of the house Chase and Kim were sneaking around the back to enter the house. Quietly Chase opened the door with his gun drawn and walked into the house. He looked around for a moment and than motioned for Kim to join him. As they walked through the kitchen to the dining room Chase caught a glimpse of Jack sitting on the couch. He didn't want to get Jack until he knew where Nina was. She was a very dangerous person and he knew his limits. When he went to walk down the hallway he saw Nina walking out of what he figured was the bathroom from Kim's description of the place. He ducked back into the dining room and than into the kitchen where he hoped she wouldn't enter. He motioned for Kim to be quite. He sat in the kitchen until he heard Nina call out.  
  
"Common Chase and Kim. Come out now or I'll shoot Jack. I know you're here."  
  
Kim jumped when she heard Nina. She hadn't expected Nina to know they were there. Chase wondered how Nina knew they were there. He was sure she didn't see him when she came out of the bathroom. They both stood quietly hoping that Nina would figure she was paranoid.  
  
Nina grabbed Jack off the couch and used him as a shield as she walked through the dining room towards the kitchen. When Chase saw her coming he raised his gun and pointed it at the two.  
  
"Chase put the gun down." Jack yelled at him. "You're not going to put Kim in this situation. Nina is not going to do anything as long as we don't fuck with her."  
  
Nina was surprised when Jack yelled at his partner to put the gun down and than tried to reassure him that nothing was going to happen. "That's right Chase. All I want is to leave. I don't want to hurt anyone." Nina said to confirm what Jack had already said.  
  
Knowing that there was no way he could shoot Nina without hitting Jack or her getting a shot off and killing Jack; Chase lowered his gun. He set in on the counter and pushed it down towards Nina.  
  
"Good. Lets all go sit in the living room."  
  
Once in the living room Jack, Kim, and Chase sat on the couch. Nina took another set of plastic cuffs and secured Chase's hand behind his back. She could tell that Kim was seething with anger because Jack had stood up for Nina again.  
  
Tears were pulling in Kim's eyes. This house reminded her of her mother and she was pissed that it seemed to have no effect on her father, and the fact that he brought the woman who killed his wife to their house.  
  
Jack looked at his daughter and he wanted to comfort her. He figured being in the house was all that was effecting her so he said, "its ok Kim. Are you going to be Ok?"  
  
And her response was the last thing he ever figured would come out of her mouth, "No dad I'm not. I can't believe you brought the person who killed mom here. I can't believe that you even stood up for her. Sometimes I think you wanted mom to die. Maybe you two were in it together because every time you get around one another neither of you kills each other. I bet you still have a relationship going on. I'm so tired of it. You act like mom dying is nothing until you are on your own. When mom died I became an orphan because you were never there. You couldn't even be there for me when my mother died. You were never there. Sometimes I think you take all of those assignments so you can get away from me. You don't love me or care about me. You never have. I don't know why I've wasted so much time on you. You are worthless. First you took yourself from me and than you took my mother away from me. You once tried to take Chase from me. All you do is take the tings I love. I don't have a father anymore." She began to sob and her words became indecipherable.  
  
What Kim said hurt Jack so bad that he wished he was dead at that moment. All he could muster to say was, "I'm sorry." With that Kim turned towards him and looked him in the eyes. His eyes had turned cold over the years and she saw that same cold stare in them and that pissed her off. She began to smack at her father. Nina walked over and pointed the gun at her and yelled, "Stop it now. Damn it. This is not Jerry Springer."  
  
Jacks lip was bleeding from Kim hitting him. He just sat there and did not move. Nina pointed at him and said, "Come with me." She walked him into the bathroom and had him sit down on the closed toilet seat. She checked to make sure there was nothing he could use to get out of the cuffs so she told him, "Stay here." She walked out of the bathroom and took a chair and propped it against the door knob so that he couldn't open the door. She walked back into the living room and she looked at Kim who had her face buried in Chases arm. When Nina walked in Kim glared at her through her teary eyes.  
  
Chase began to whisper to her, "Kim are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine now." She said still glaring at Nina.  
  
"Chase let me have your cell phone so I can get out of here." Nina ordered.  
  
"It's in my coat pocket."  
  
"Kim get it out."  
  
Kim reached into Chases coat pocket and pulled out his cell phone and Nina took it from her hand. Nina dialed the number to her contact and than began to speak German to the person. The only thing Chase understood was that Nina needs a plane out of here to Canada and than on to some unknown country. Treadstone interfered with her mission and she needed to escape before he or Jack got a hold of her. She hung up the phone and said, "I'll be out of here in fifteen minutes. Until than were going to sit here quietly and enjoy the peace."  
  
10:40  
  
Tony tried calling every number he could think of to get a hold of Chase and Kim. Chases cell phone was off and there was no way of finding them. He knew Nina had Jack and he figured Chase went with Kim after those two. He was worried though because Treadstone was still out there and Nina was a dangerous person that neither Chase nor Kim were equipped to handle. Even Jack had a hard time with Nina. He had other things to focus on, therefore he had to move on and hope for the best. He had a mole he had to find and a possible terror threat later to start on.  
  
10:45  
  
The men were all in the tunnel that led to the White house. This was an unknown point of entry to most people. It was built by one of the American presidents so that he could leave in the middle of the night for secret rendezvous. This was how the team was going to get to the white house and take the president.  
  
Meanwhile Wayne Palmer was getting ready to escort Treadstone into the White house to meet his brother the president. He would introduce Treadstone as General Ian Razen an old cold war hero. He hoped the vice president was there, he had told Treadstone he had not known because he'd been over at CTU where Nina had just broke herself out of and has taken Jack prisoner in the process. Treadstone had people out looking for the two, but he did not think he would find them at a hotel and anything else would be pure luck at finding them.  
  
Treadstone phone rang, he excused himself from the conversation he was having with Wayne, for a moment and answered it. "Hello." He answered the phone with.  
  
"I know where Jack and Nina are. If you promise not to kill Bauer or his family I'll tell you."  
  
"Who is this?"  
  
"Someone who doesn't want Bauer dead yet. He still has something I want."  
  
"I don't know if I can promise that he knows too much."  
  
"He will die. But by my hands."  
  
"I could handle that."  
  
"Fine. They're at Bauer's old house Nina will be leaving any moment."  
  
"How did you come to this information?"  
  
"I've been following Bauer since last week some time."  
  
"Might I ask what your problem is with him?"  
  
"He killed my son and a few of my friends."  
  
"Will you be there when my friends get there?"  
  
"Yes. I want you to turn Bauer over to me."  
  
"Deal. Give me a half an hour. I have some other business to attend to."  
  
"Nina will be gone by than."  
  
"I'll send someone over to handle it than."  
  
"Fine."  
  
10:50  
  
Nina took Kim back to the bathroom in which she had Jack in. She removed the chair from the door and had Kim join her father inside who looked like he might have shed a few tears. She put the chair back like it was and left the house. Her ride was outside and she was on her way to freedom. She didn't want to put Kim in the bathroom with her father, but Nina didn't have any more plastic cuffs so she had to make due.  
  
In the bathroom Kim could see the pain in her fathers' eyes. She had never seen him like this besides the night her mother died. She was still pissed at him, but she saw a new raw side of him she had never seen before. He tried to hide the pain, but it was worthless he had so much that was now trying to come out.  
  
After he heard the car pull off Chase stood up and walked to the bathroom. He struggled to pull the chair away from the door with his hands behind his back. When he freed it he yelled, "Come out guys she's gone."  
  
Kim opened the door and hugged Chase. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. She cut Chases hands free and than had him do so to her father. She would not talk to her father, and her father would not speak. Chase could feel the tension and decided it'd be best if he were quite. Chase grabbed his cell phone of the table and called Tony.  
  
"She gone. We're all ok. I'm going to take Kim home, and than Jack. Do you need me to come in?" Chase said to Tony as soon as he picked up the phone.  
  
"No. Take care of those two. If something happens I'll call."  
  
"Let's go guys" Chase said as he hung up the phone.  
  
"I'm going to walk." Jack said as he walked towards the door.  
  
"But it's like a mile to your apartment." Chase said, "And you're hurt."  
  
"I'll be fine. Don't worry I'm a big boy." Jack said as he walked out the front door and down the sidewalk, as he had so many times before. He knew he wasn't going home, but he didn't want them to know he was going to the bar.  
  
10:57 10:58 10:59 


	12. 11:00 am 12:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.  
  
11:00 a.m.  
  
Wayne walked Treadstone through security and it was amazing to Treadstone how easy it was to get access to the President if you were a friend of someone close to him. He walked past the Secret Service members and smiled at how easy this was. When the reached the oval office Wayne knocked and than walked in. Treadstone waited politely outside. Checking his watch, he thought the guys should be close by now. That is if they were able to take out the few secret service people that were guarding the tunnel. He hoped that Dan had reached the Bauer house in time before Nina had left. If not than he would kill Dan. Wayne was right that Dan was a bad source. He could easily be turn if the money or deal was right. That is how Treadstone got him in the first place.  
  
After a few moments Wayne opened the door and invited Treadstone in.  
  
As he walked into the room Treadstone said in his Russian ascent, "Hello Mr. President. It is so nice to meet you. I am a big fan of yours."  
  
"Thank you General Razen. Wayne has told me about you and said you were a history buff like myself. He figured we should get together for lunch and here we are. My brother always working on getting more people on my side."  
  
"Sir I was already on you side."  
  
"Please let's sit while we wait for the food to be prepared."  
  
Treadstone sat down and began to answer various questions Palmer had about Cold War Russia. It was amazing how much this man did know about it, and even more amazing that he didn't know Treadstone from it. He was one of the major assassins at the beginning of his career. He looked at his watch the guys should enter any moment now. When he looked back up the secret entrance to the oval office opened and a dart shoot out of it hitting David Palmer in the neck. Before he could make any noise the powerful drug took over and Palmer went unconscious. The guys came out of the secret door and they collected Palmer and took him back through along with Wayne and Treadstone. When they reached the other side the put Palmer in a medal tubing that looked like a hot water heater. The day before they made sure to disable the old one and make it look like a new one was needed. This was a perfect cover. Not only could they carry the president out in what would have been the new heater, that they modified to look just like the old one and made it able to carry a person, they metal casing was made special so that nothing could transmit outside of it, incase the President had a tracking device on. They walked out of the building and no one noticed.  
  
11:20  
  
It was still early in the mourning but Jack needed a beer. He thought about going to the bar. It seemed so tempting, but that wasn't him. He hardly ever drank. No instead he would go home and sleep. Sleep would be nice about now. Sleep all the day away and maybe wake up to find it to be all a dream. He grabbed a cab, the cab driver was a young kid who couldn't be much older than twenty. On the radio Free Bird came on and the song took Jack into an almost unconscious stage. The driver had to tell him he was at his house when they reached it because Jack was out of it. Jack paid him and walked into his apartment. It was a depressing place. There were no pictures except for the one he kept in his desk drawer with his back up weapon. Jack walked to the desk and grabbed the picture and the gun. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a double shot of Jack Daniels. Swallowing it the warmth of it made him feel almost better.  
  
He walked into his room and laid on the bed. He was in pain, but he told himself after he broke the heroin habit that he would not put any more addictive drugs in his body besides alcohol. So he would not take the pills the doctor gave him. He lay on the bed with the gun next to it on the night stand and the picture resting on his chest. He was asleep when Kim entered. He never heard her open the door.  
  
Kim was worried after she left her father. What she had said was what she was feeling and she knew while she was right she shouldn't have said it. She couldn't get the look of pain out of her father's eyes so she had Chase drive her to his apartment and they sat across the street until Jack arrived home. She waited a few moments before she went in. She tried to think of what she could say to him. Chase had said he'd wait outside for her. He knew it was going to be a hard moment for both and he didn't want to intrude.  
  
Kim looked around trying to find her father. When she walked into the bedroom she saw him in bed asleep with the gun next to the bed. For a second it took her back to the night her mother died. When they go home he had thought she was in bed, but she snuck down like she had when she was a child and she saw him looking at the gun and she knew what he was thinking. She even saw him pick it up and point it at his head, but he did not pull the trigger he sat it back down and began to stare at it again. It scared her and she tried to reach him after that, but he just backed farther into himself and work and than she gave up on him. She walked over to the bed and shook her father to wake him up.  
  
When he felt the touch of someone Jack jumped awake grabbing his side in pain as he did so.  
  
"I'm sorry if I scared you. We need to talk." Kim said to her father who was only halfway conscious.  
  
"Kim there's no need. I understand how you feel. It is ok."  
  
"I'm not going to accept that. We have to talk now. Or I'm not going to come back again."  
  
"Kim what do you want me to do? I don't know what you want from me? I did the best I could I'm sorry I'm a horrible father."  
  
"You're not a horrible father. And all I want from you is to tell me how you feel, and to be there for me, and let me be there for you."  
  
"I am here for you Kim."  
  
"But you won't let me be there for you. You hide your feelings and ignore me by taking assignments dad. You have to know what you are doing. You're the bravest man I know and you are too damn scared to face your own feelings."  
  
"What do you want me to do Kim? Do you want me to tell you that every day I wake up and am sad that I woke up? Do you want me to admit that I would change spots with your mother in a second if I could? Or maybe you want me to say how I know I killed your mother and hurt you and how much that kills me inside. Is that what you want?"  
  
"Yes! I want you to show some sort of feeling something that says Hey look I'm still here. Mom would have wanted you to live not die. You died with her your just to stupid to know it. I want the man that use to be my father. The man that would play chess with me, and smile. I haven't seen you smile in a long time. I haven't even seen life in your eyes in a long time."  
  
"I'm sorry. I can't give you what you want Kim. Maybe it would be better if you just gave up and left me. You might be happier."  
  
"Is that what you really want?"  
  
Jack sat and stared at the wall. No that is not what he wanted but he felt it would be best for Kim. He didn't answer her.  
  
"Dad!" Kim said hurt that he had not answered her question.  
  
"Bye Kim. I'm sorry." Jack said still staring at the wall. If Kim could see his eyes she would of saw them full of tears.  
  
Kim got up and walked out of the house slamming the door behind her. She was crying when she got into the SUV with Chase. Chase did not ask anything. He hugged her and told her everything would be fine. He drove her home.  
  
11:40  
  
Treadstone's phone rang and he fished through his pocket to find it.  
  
"Hello, Dan?" He said hoping Dan was calling to tell him he had Nina and Jack.  
  
"No. Your man didn't make it in time. I followed Bauer. Nina is long gone."  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"That is none of your business."  
  
"I think we both have a common interest. We could work together to get it accomplished."  
  
"No. I don't work with partners any more." The female voice said over the phone.  
  
"I could make it worth your wild?"  
  
"No you couldn't. I have a few things to do before I return home. I just called to tell you that your man did not make it in time and I killed him."  
  
"Thank you. I needed to dispose of him. Who are you?"  
  
"No one you know."  
  
"If you need a job ever I'd be more than willing to hire you."  
  
"And work for a traitor to his own country? No. I have a cause to fight for. Allah is my master and he will tell me what to do not you."  
  
"I bet your organization has a deal with me though. I'm guessing you're with the second wave from last year. They are apart of my organization I help fund that little fiasco last year."  
  
"Maybe. But we do not have similar interest I want Bauer dead and you want him to get to Nina."  
  
"Either way he dies eventually. Tell you what I'm in the middle of something why don't you wait a few hours for me. Watch the news something big is about to happen that might make you change your mind."  
  
"I will wait because you helped my organization, not because you want me to. You have exactly one hour before I go in and kill Bauer."  
  
"Deal. Call me back after you see the news."  
  
11:45  
Jack held back the tears and laid back down. Before he could fall asleep the phone rang next to his bed. He answered it incase it was Tony calling with information.  
  
In a sleepy voice he said, "Hello."  
  
The person on the other line said, "Hi Jack. I'm sorry were you asleep?"  
  
Jack recognized the voice, it was Kate Warner. "No. Trying to, but not succeeding. How can I help you Kate?"  
  
"I was wondering if I could come over to talk. When we . . . Well we said we would be friends and I miss talking to you. You were always a great listener. Can I come over?"  
  
"Um. It has been a long day?"  
  
Kate cut him off and said, "I'll come over and cook lunch. I know you probably haven't eaten yet and you're probably starving, but to tired to cook. Better yet I'll get Chinese food from your favorite restaurant. Just an hour Jack. That's all."  
  
"Fine. But Tony might call and I might have to leave. Do you still have the same cell phone number?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ok if he calls before you come over I'll call you and tell you I have to go."  
  
"Ok. I'll see you in about fifteen minutes."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Jack hung up the phone and got up. He looked at himself in the mirror. He looked like hell, worse than hell. He decided he would take a shower before Kate got here. He went in and turned the water on and waited for it to warm up before he got in. The hot water hitting his chest hurt at first and later became soothing. He began to wonder what Kate would want with him. When they broke up it was a bad break up. She knew he could never love her like she wanted. His heart was hurt too badly when Teri died and he thought he was incapable of ever loving again. He did feel for Kate and still did, but like with Kim he knew she was better without him. He held both of the women back.  
  
He got out of the shower and dressed in a pair of black jeans, and put on a white T-shirt with a flannel over it. He decided to call Kim and apologize. He was too selfish to let her go.  
  
When someone finally picked up on the other end it was Chase, "Hello."  
  
"Hey Chase. Can I speak to Kim?"  
  
"I'm not sure hold on."  
  
Jack heard Chase ask Kim if she wanted to speak to her father. He heard her say no, she had no father he died with her mother. When Chase got back on the line he began to say she wasn't in the mood to talk to him, but Jack cut him off, "Chase tell her I'm sorry. I love her very much. And I am trying to deal. Tell her I am sorry if I hurt her. I did not mean that I didn't love her. I just thought she would be better without me. Tell her I lover her and she has to know that. I am going to try to change."  
  
Chase told her all the things Jack said and she took the phone from his hand and said, "I cannot forgive you nor trust you on this. I want you to go see my psychiatrist with me. Than maybe we can mend our relationship, until you decided to I don't want to talk to you again."  
  
"Kim I'll go. But you have to tell me you understand that I love you very much. You are all I have left and I know I turn away from you, I'm sorry."  
  
"Fine dad. I'll make an appointment and call you with the time. Good bye."  
  
"Goodbye honey, I'm so sorry."  
  
There was a knock on the door at Jacks house. He looked at the clock it was only 11:55 Kate must have been early. He looked through the peep hole and sure enough Kate was outside with a bag of Chinese food.  
  
11:57 11:58 11:59 


	13. 12:00 1:00 pm Revised

The following events occur between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.  
  
Nina Myers sat in a car at a small airport waiting for her ticket to freedom to land. She always felt lucky when she escaped from Jack. She knew what Jack was capable of. She knew of all the times he walked into a situation he should have never of escaped, all the times he was the only one that came out alive. In her heart she loved Jack still. If she had meant him before she went into the business she was in she would have never entered the job. But life was not made to regret. If she had meant him before she would always be waiting for him to leave Teri and that would have never happened. In some ways she felt guilty for leaving Jack back in the U.S. She knew that Treadstone would come again and that telling Jack his plans would not have stopped him from accomplishing whatever it was that he wanted.  
  
That was until the plane flew over the airstrip and a group of cars came rolling in. Nina looked at the driver of her car and told him to take off. The guy pulled out a gun and looked at her. "Can't do that Nina."  
  
She cursed herself for trusting her people to get her out of here. What did she expect Treadstone probably owned half of them and the other half was too scared to do anything. She wondered why they went through all of the drama though. Something wasn't right. Drama like this could cause problems, and Treadstone was not one for it. Than it occurred to her that this was planned all along. Treadstone knew her too well and he had planned for all of this, meaning that his original plan to bomb the State of the Union and the people who didn't show was wrong.  
  
12:10  
  
Treadstone smiled to himself. Everything was working out greatly. They had the president on the plane to California. Once there they would call in their demands and he would track Bauer down himself and the lady after Bauer. She seemed very interesting. There was something in her loyalty that he wanted her to be apart of his team. He had no problem killing Bauer any more. When Bauer broke so did his fascination with the man that never seemed to quit, though if he could turn Bauer he would become unstoppable. But turning Bauer would be like getting Nina Myers to stay loyal to something. Jack was a rare person in the fact that once he found a reason to be loyal you could not stop that loyalty. He did not betray people. Nina on the other hand would sell you everything you wanted for the right price, making both very predictable.  
  
The president had just come too and was looking around trying to figure out where he was at. He saw Treadstone and asked "What's going on? Where am I?"  
  
Treadstone looked at the President of the United States and said, "You are somewhere over the US. And you can figure out what's going on all by yourself, you're a smart man."  
  
"The U.S. does not negotiate with terrorist. So no matter what you want you will not get. I will make sure of that. I would rather die than help you." Palmer said in anger.  
  
"You don't control the country right now Mr. Palmer. You have been kidnapped and possibly compromised."  
  
"My Vice President will not deal with terrorist. He would do no such thing."  
  
"Than he will die. That simple. He is an easy man to kill. He has to prove he is better than you for the next election. That will compromise him. Plus I believe he is a man that has a price. Unlike you who seems to never budge."  
  
"Someone will find you and possibly me and when they do you will end up dead."  
  
"I doubt that sir. I'm too damn good for that. I even got your friend Bauer to break earlier today."  
  
Palmer got silent. He would not argue with the man anymore.  
  
Another man walked out of the cockpit and said to Treadstone, "We have Ms. Myers. And we know where Bauer is, he has company."  
  
12:20  
  
They sat at Jacks small dining table in the kitchen. They were in a weird silent stage. Each knowing the other still cared for them, but how to approach the subject was the problem. Kate tired of sitting quietly asked, "What happened to you? You look like hell."  
  
"I ran into some problems early. Everything is ok now though."  
  
"You don't look ok."  
  
"I'll be fine."  
  
"Jack is it that hard to open up to anyone? You never show your feelings or even acknowledge that you feel them. Sometimes I think you don't have feelings, but I know you do, you hide them. This is how. ." She stopped with that. She knew not to say the next statement.  
  
"God. Do you and Kim talk? Is this like your guys little pet project. Let get Jack to spill his guts to us. Make him into a weakling."  
  
"Do you think show your feelings is a sign of weakness? It's not Jack. It makes you stronger because you are dealing with the things of the past instead of running form them. The more you run, Jack, the faster your demons chase you. You should know that."  
  
"Can we please change the subject?"  
  
"Fine. I didn't come here to fight. I came for the opposite. Jack I know you will not be able to fully love me with your entire heart until you fight your demons of the past. But I am willing to settle for that. I love you. I wake up every mourning still, looking to the other side of my bed for you. Every morning I am let down again. It hurts too much to act like I don't care about you. And yes Kim and I talk. She got close to me before she understands that I'm not here to take the place of Teri. I couldn't even try that. You don't see that your heart is big enough to love two women. It is not that you're giving up Teri when you love me; you're sharing your love with the world. Teri would want that Jack. She wouldn't want you to sit here in this pain your in."  
  
Trying to keep his temper under control Jack said, "You don't know. Now let's get off the topic. I have more things to worry about."  
  
"Jack I know about your fight earlier with Kim. She called me and told me she was going to confront you. She feels like you don't love her because you still will not be there for her. You didn't even show up to her wedding Jack."  
  
"I know. I know. I know. Will it make you happy that I agreed to go with Kim to a damn psychiatrist. Won't that be enough for you two to quit hounding me. I am not perfect. I know that, but in my world feelings get in the way so you don't feel them. You two will never understand that. You've never had to, and hopefully never will."  
  
"I know we'll never understand. I saw your world not to long ago, remember."  
  
"Yes. Can we please have a normal happy lunch?"  
  
"Sure. You look like hell though."  
  
Jack smiled at her. He knew she cared for him as Kim had and they both were worried. They talked about everything from what Kate's been up to, too hockey. Than the phone rang.  
  
Jack got up and answered the phone, "Hello."  
  
"Jack its Tony. We have situation. . "  
  
The phone went dead. Jacks first reaction was to hang up the phone and go get his gun of the bed. He looked at Kate and signaled for her to be quite. He whispered to her, "Do you have your cell phone?"  
  
She grabbed at her purse and tossed the phone to him. Catching the phone Jack dialed the number to CTU. Tony answered the phone, "Jack."  
  
"What's up Tony? I think the phone died on my end. Kate's with me. Call Chase and get him and Kim to CTU. Kate and I are leaving now for it. Gotta go." When Jack hung up the phone, the front door came bursting open and three people came rushing in. Jack shot one of them and yelled for Kate to run out the back. He was firing and covering behind the counter that separated his kitchen from the living room, when he heard Kate scream from the back. A moment later he heard a female voice from the hallway yell, "Jack put the gun down or I'll kill her. He looked behind him and saw Kate crying with a gun to her head standing at the end of the hallway. Jack thought for a moment. He could not let another woman he loved killed so he put the gun down on the floor and stood up with his hands at his side.  
  
"The guns down." He yelled so that the others would not shoot at him, he hoped.  
  
"Put your hands up where I can see them and walk back." A female voice ordered from behind him.  
  
As he was walking back he felt a sharp pain in his head when a metallic thing connected with the back of his head. He felt warm liquid running down his head as he hit the floor. He was still conscious and was getting up when the woman kicked him in his ribs. He fell back to the ground and laid there. He figured they didn't want him to get up, but the lady kicked him again in the ribs and this time he let out groan of pain as she connected bellow his ribs and hit his gun shot wound from earlier. He moved his had protectively over his gunshot wound and tried to stand up again with the other hand. He heard Kate screaming for the person to stop. Jack was now on his hands and knees getting ready to push him self to a standing position when a heavy boot connected with his head. The force of the kick sent Jack into the bar counter that separated the living room and kitchen. Jack hit the ground and lay unconscious.  
  
The woman's phone rang as she was getting ready to pull the trigger on the gun pointed at her sister's head. "WHAT!" She said agitated at the person interrupting the moment.  
  
"Do you have Bauer?"  
  
"Yes he's here on the floor. Sleeping."  
  
"Did everything go ok?"  
  
"One of your guys is dead, Bauer killed him. And Bauer's girlfriend was over. I was trying to deal with her when you called."  
  
"Girlfriend? He has a girlfriend?"  
  
"Yes. My dear sister Kate. They meant during the failed nuclear attack."  
  
"Don't kill her and I'll give you more money towards your cause on top of what we had already agreed upon. I will make sure you and your friend have safe transport to where ever. I need her and Bauer alive so that I can keep Bauer under control. His daughter went back to CTU and since you killed my man inside I can't get to her at all."  
  
"Fine. But I reserve the right to come back and kill both of them at a later date."  
  
"That's fine with me as long as I no longer need them. I'll help you even."  
  
12:45  
  
Nina was sitting in a white room. She did not know where she was. There were no observerable sounds and there were no windows in the room. All that was in the room was a chair and a metal pole that ran the length of the room. The room might have once been a belle studio. Other than that she was clueless as to where she was. No one had spoken to her since the car. She wondered who had captured her. She figures it was Treadstone. If it was the US they would already be in here questioning her. She believed that she might be waiting in this empty white room for her death. The thought scared her she might have killed people and done other things, but she was still afraid of death. Everyone was afraid of dying and if they told you otherwise they were lying. She had even seen the fear in Bauer's eyes a few times.  
  
12:50  
  
The plane landed without a problem. After an hour and some change flight the small plane flew to outside of the L.A. area. Treadstone was amazed by the ability of the plane to fly so fast. He exited the plane and entered a white van with tinted windows. He sat in the passenger seat. The driver waited for the men to close the doors in the back, where the President of the United States sat hand cuffed. The driver drove off into the afternoon traffic.  
  
12:55  
  
The driver of another van drove the blue van around to the back of Bauer's apartment. They loaded the unconscious Jack and than Kate into the van. Marie sat in the back watching Kate holding Jacks head that was bleeding. Kate sat in silence. To scared to talk or move. She was not as scared as she was earlier. Clearly the person who was running things wanted her and Jack alive because of the deal she heard Marie make. That eased her fear a little, but as she had learned a few years ago, there are things worse than death.  
  
12:57 12:58 12:59 


	14. 1:00 2:00 pm Revised

The following events occur between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.  
  
1:00 p.m.  
  
Tony Almeida sat in his office. He was not sure what to do. He tried to call Jack back, but the cell phone he called with was shut off. Jacks phone was out of order, and no one was home at his house. Kim and Chase made it to the office and were working on tracking down the man that visited the President today. So far no one knew who he was, or how he ever meant Wayne Palmer. No one knew where Wayne Palmer was nor the President. This would be the first time that the President of the United States was kidnapped. This was worse than a president being assassinated because the assassination is usually from afar. Not only did this guy get past security and the secret service he was able to smuggle the president out without anyone noticing for awhile. Heads would roll, but that was not the issue. He had to find Jack, and the President. He had no leads and still didn't know if he could trust everyone at CTU.  
  
"Michelle is everyone here?" Tony said after he called Michelle and she answered the phone.  
  
"No. Jack and Dan are missing."  
  
"Dan?"  
  
"He took off a few hours ago and still is missing."  
  
"Did you contact the police about a possible situation out at Jack's house?"  
  
"They are on their way over to check."  
  
"Don't tell Kim. If she asks tell her that her father is flying to D.C. and will call her later."  
  
"Ok. She'll be pissed if he shows up and she finds out we lied to her."  
  
"Oh well. Remind me to talk to Jack about transferring her somewhere else. This whole hiding from Kim thing is sort of unprofessional and I don't think Chappelle would be very happy about it if he knew."  
  
"Fine. But I doubt that's a good idea Tony. She is good at her job. One of our best now and she does not allow her personal problems to get in the way."  
  
1:10  
  
Driving up to the abandon building Treadstone got out of the van and opened the big garage door. The van drove in and the door was closed by people inside behind it. Treadstone looked around the building. He had gotten it cheaply earlier that year and had it under a false company name that should not be able to be traced to him. They had it remodeled to fit their needs. They had two rooms made into holding areas, and a computer room that had all the latest computers, software, and some of the best hackers. It was funny with what you could get with money and good connections.  
  
One of the men escorted the President to a room where they decided to hold everyone in the same room for the time being. They might have to separate people and they'd need the other room for that, or if they had to interrogate someone again.  
  
When the door opened Nina Myers stood up from the chair and saw a man with the President. Her mouth would have dropped if she had not trained herself not to react to such things. She never would have figured someone could kidnap the President, or there wasn't anyone crazy enough.  
  
The President walked into the room and said, "I knew you would have had something to do with this." He said angrily. "I never should have allowed you to go free the last time."  
  
"Wait a second. I have nothing to do with this. I am not here by choice." Nina said in her defense.  
  
"You mean to tell me that you not only helped them kidnap Jack earlier, but now you have nothing to do with them?"  
  
"Yes sir. If you have your sources check I was the reason Jack was still alive."  
  
"Was?"  
  
"I'm not sure if he still is sir. I parted from her a few hours ago. I do not know his condition now. I figured they got to me, so they have gotten to him."  
  
As she was saying this the door opened again and a woman who had clearly been through hell entered the room. The guards ordered everyone against the wall. Everyone in the room complied, and than two guards dragged the unconscious body of Jack Bauer. The President stared at Jack for a second; he was looking to make sure his chest was still moving. The men dropped Jack roughly on the floor and one of them kicked him and than turned and walked out.  
  
As soon as the door closed Kate ran to Jack. She was worried about him because he had still not woken up, nor moved. His face had a huge bruise on it that was swelling, and there was a cut also from the kick. The cut was bleeding, but not as bad as the cut on the back of his head. She didn't have any loose clothes she could use so she asked, "Can one of you help me get his flannel off so that I can use it to try to stop the bleeding on the back of his head."  
  
The president walked up and helped her take Jacks shirt off. The white shirt underneath already had blood around the neck region. Kate ripped a strip of the shirt off and placed it against the big knot at the back of Jacks head that was bleeding. She took the rest and used it to rest his head on.  
  
"What happened?" The president asked.  
  
"We were at Jacks apartment when these men and my sister came in. She kept hitting Jack and he just kept trying to get up until she kicked him in the head." Kate finally looked at the people in the room and she was shocked, "Mr. President what are you doing here?"  
  
"I wish I knew."  
  
She saw Nina and could not place her for a moment. When she finally did she did not say anything. She felt anger towards Nina. She had caused so much pain in the man she loved, and she had caused him to be how he was.  
  
Jack was slowly becoming conscious. In his mind he was sitting on the couch at the house and Teri was there asking him what he would do if she died before him. She use to do that sometimes. It creped him out, and would piss her off some times because he would bring up the fact that he was more likely to die before her, but to make her happy he would say he would live in misery and never even look at a woman again. She would tell him that she would not want that. She wanted him to try to find someone new to take care of him. She knew if she had died he did not deserve to be alone. He would always love her, but he had to share his love with the world. He told her he couldn't ever love anyone else. He had cared for Nina, but he had never loved her. But than in the middle of this memory the President voice was asking, "Who is your sister? And what does she have to do with this?"  
  
Jack felt a pain in the back of his head. It felt like a migraine was coming on and his eyes rolled in his head. He groaned as he opened his eyes and closed them again because of the pain in his head. When he opened them again he saw the President, Nina, and Kate looking at him. For a moment he thought he was dreaming, but than the memory of what happened earlier came back.  
  
He slowly sat up and asked, "Where are we?"  
  
"We don't know Jack. How are you?" The president asked.  
  
"I'm fine sir. How are you here?"  
  
"You don't know?"  
  
"Know what sir?"  
  
"I was captured earlier. It seems my brother was helping someone out."  
  
"Shit." Jack said under his breath, "That must have been the situation. Are you ok sir?"  
  
"I'm fine. It's you I'm worried about. You look like hell."  
  
"I am fine sir. I have been through worse."  
  
"That I'm not so sure of."  
  
At that moment the door opened and Treadstone walked in. "Good everyone is awake. Jack we have to quit meeting like this people might start talking."  
  
Treadstone motioned for two guards to grab Jack. When they walked over to Jack; he stood up and followed them like they wanted. He didn't want to cause problems he had to find where they were and get the President out.  
  
"What now Treadstone?" Jack said when they left the room.  
  
"You're going for a ride. Now that you know we have the president and your girlfriend I want you to pick some people up for me. My friend here demands that you go with her, she wants her friend to be the first person he sees when he is free."  
  
"Who's that?"  
  
"Your friend from your apartment."  
  
"Marie. Great sounds like fun."  
  
"Well, excuse me I have to make a call."  
  
Treadstone took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number, "I want to speak to Mr. Chappelle. This is the man who has the president."  
  
"This is Chappelle."  
  
"For the President I first want the following people released into the custody of Jack Bauer. I want the man from the nuclear bombing a few years ago, I want Scott Green, and Cal Munch freed within the hour. I want them all waiting Agent Bauer at the front gate of the prison they are being held at. I know they're all at the same prison so it should not be hard. If you try to follow or prevent him from bringing them back I will send you a piece of the president, and will continue to do so every half hour until Bauer is back here with them."  
  
"Sir. I have information that Agent Bauer is missing at the moment."  
  
"I know where he is and I will send him with an escort to pick the men up. You have twenty minutes now."  
  
"That's not enough . . ."  
  
Treadstone hung the phone up and gave Jack the keys to one of the vans. "Marie he's set to go."  
  
She walked up to Jack who was trying not to show that he was in any pain at all.  
  
"Let's go" She said motioning her gun towards the van.  
  
1:30  
  
Kim looked around CTU. This was the second or third time in the past two days that CTU had called everyone in because of a situation. She couldn't believe that the President had been kidnapped. That was the first of that happening, and this wasn't a movie like Air Force One. These people called and had demands. She was working on the release papers for the three people they ordered to be let free. It was weird in the fact that none of them had anything to do with the other. She took a minute, while one of the other tech people were transferring the needed data to her, she called Kate. She had talked to Kate earlier after the fight with her father, and she knew Kate was going to see her father, or at least try. She dialed Kate's number and the phone went directly to the voice mail. That was weird because Kate never turned her cell phone off.  
  
Kim and Kate started to talk after Kim learned about Kate and her father's relationship. At first she hated Kate because this was the first woman after her mother, and all children even older children dislike their parents first after a parent's death or separation. But Kate had taken Kim out shopping and to lunch one day and they talked. Kate had lost her mother early on too and understood Kim's feelings. The two bonded and began to confide in each other. Both trying to help Jack get out of the slump he was in.  
  
Kim wondered how the meeting went. If she had to choose she would like her father to go with Kate. Kate was a nice person, but her father as stubborn and still hurting horribly from her mother. Kim began to wonder where her father was. He would have come in even if he was ordered to stay at home. He would never sit out on something like this.  
  
1:35  
  
After the men came in to get Jack Kate began to get scared again. She loved Jack very much and she was afraid of what they might be doing to him. She saw how he looked and didn't think he could take much more. He was pretty beat up and she knew his body would not accept as much punishment as he had made it seem to be able to. She sat on the floor in the corner by herself. She did not want to talk to Nina and was still shocked at being in the same room with the President. Jack had told her about him and how great of a man he was, but it was the President, he was like the queen of England, and she wasn't sure what to call him or anything. She began to feel bad because here she is kidnapped and she's worrying about what to call the President.  
  
Palmer walked over to Kate and sat next to her. "Are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine Mr. President."  
  
"Call me David please. I've been President for more than four years now and it's still feels weird to me when people call me Mr. President. So David please."  
  
"I'm fine David."  
  
"You and I both know that you are not fine. The man you seem to love has just been taken captive with you, and now they have taken him to an unknown location. He looks horrible as is, and you are worried that he is too stubborn to give in if they happen to interrogate him again. You are scared shitless and there is nothing you can do about it."  
  
"Well yeah. But I have gotten use to, or at least accustomed to Jack always being in danger. Every time I think that he isn't going to do it again. He had learned his lesson and would stop putting himself in danger. I think he truly believes that he has to. No one else can do it so he has to do it."  
  
"That sounds like Jack. But I feel guilty because I'm usually the one asking him to put himself and his family in danger again. This time I gave him a choice, but that is not the truth. When I asked Jack for help I took any choice he had away." Palmer said.  
  
"You two don't really know Jack do you." Nina said from the other side of the room. She hated to her about how much of a boy scout Jack was. "Jack took the job because that is what he is good at. He is great at killing people, and getting information from them. He is great at escaping dangerous impossible situations. It isn't that someone asked him it's that he gets bored with normal life so he goes off and does this. It is like the housewife's one cigarette a day. It keeps his life from being boring. After his wife died it became his mission in life. He takes every mission with the hope that maybe he will be killed because Jack can't do anything the easy way, even suicide. He can not quit so he continues to take on situations in which he might not return with the hope that he will die and that is not quitting or suicide, its dying in the line of fire. That is Jack period." Nina said in a matter of fact way.  
  
"Even if that is correct Jack never compromises. Because if you compromise once you'll do it again thinking it was ok." Palmer said in the defense of his friend.  
  
"Jack compromised today. He gave up the information on Treadstone in order to save his own life, and the non-threaten life of his daughter. He broke, and spilled his guts to Treadstone. I was there I saw it." Nina said in an angry voice.  
  
"He was being tortured and what do we have on Treadstone. They're an organization that is unifying all of the terrorist groups around the world. It is run by a man that no one has ever seen until today." Palmer argued.  
  
1:45  
  
Jack drove the van and an uneasy feeling started to settle in. He knew Marie hated him and Kate and she would happily kill both of them. On top of that he was sure that one of the people he would be picking up would be the terrorist who he interrogated a few years ago. The man might still believe that his son is dead, on Jacks order. If that was true than Jack had a serious situation on his hands. He did not know how to escape the situation.  
  
Jack pulled in front of the prison and put the van in park. He looked at Marie and wondered how such a nice looking girl could do the things she had done. Marie didn't have a traumatic childhood; the only problem with it was her mothers death other than that it was happy. Jack asked, "What now?"  
  
"We wait they should be out any moment. When they come out you will get out of the van take the keys from the guard. You will put the guys in the back. And walk through the back to the front. You will hand me the key than I will unlock them. You will drive back to the place."  
  
A group of guards and three men in chains came through the front gate. Jack got out of the van and walked up to the guard. The guard looked at him. The three guys walked past the guard. Jack asked, "May I have the keys please."  
  
The guard handed Jack the keys and watched as Jack loaded the three guys in the back and moved to the front seat. Jack handed Marie the keys and put the van in drive and took off.  
  
He drove for a few minutes to an abandoned oil field and stopped as Marie had instructed him when he got back into the van. Both of them got out of the van and meant at the back of the van. She ordered, "Open the doors, unlock the guys and than get out."  
  
Jack stepped into the back of the van. He unlocked the guys and than stepped back outside. The terrorist Marie knew stepped out behind him and looked at Marie, "How is this?"  
  
"Treadstone and I made a deal. I would deliver Jack alive and help him out for money and you release."  
  
"How did he get my release?"  
  
"He has the president in his possession. He captured him earlier today."  
  
"We cannot kill this man?"  
  
"No. Jack must not be killed. But . . ." She didn't even finish the sentence before the man punched Jack in the stomach.  
  
Jack feel to the ground having the wind knocked out of him and the cuts from earlier agitated. He sat on the ground for a moment unable to breath. When he finally could breath again his entire body ached from his broken ribs, and gun shoot wound. The man walked over to Jack and grabbed him by the hair, "You killed my son. I should kill you, but Allah says that once a deal has been made I must stand by it. Instead I will find your child and kill her."  
  
Jack proclaimed, "Your son is still alive. It was all a ploy to get you to tell me what I wanted."  
  
"No I saw my son get shot."  
  
"He's alive. They did not shoot him, they shot at him, but they did not shoot him. I couldn't sanction that even if I wanted to. Call your wife."  
  
"He is telling the truth. I talked to our people when I escaped your wife and family is living with the group. Everyone is fine." Marie said not wanting her friend to think his son was dead.  
  
"I still want him dead."  
  
"We can after Treadstone is finished with him."  
  
The man took a pair of the chains and chained Jack with them. He helped Jack into the van and sat him next to the other two guys in the back. Jack was breathing hard and his chest was heaving with the pain of breathing. Marie drove the van towards the abandoned warehouses.  
  
She called Treadstone, "The trade went off good. We have Jack restrained in the back. Had a problem with him, but we fixed it. We should be there shortly."  
  
"Good. Make sure Jack stays alive. If I want to deal with the president I need him to be alive."  
  
1:57 1:58 1:59 


	15. 2:00 3:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 2:00 and 3:00 p.m.  
  
2:00  
  
Chase ran up to Tony's office. "Tony we were able to track Jack. We moved one of our satellites over the prison and it followed Jack back to an abandoned warehouse area. I'm not sure if the President is there, but Jack is. I figure if Jack is there than the president is because Jack wouldn't help them without knowing the president is ok."  
  
"Possibly. But Jack might not have a choice or he might have been turned earlier today somehow." Chappelle said. He came over to CTU after the president was kidnapped, as he always had when a big situation occurred. He did not like Jack or Tony and would be happy to watch both of them fail, but this was not the time so he made sure everything was going correctly, and did so by shadowing Tony.  
  
"Sorry Sir. I didn't know you were here. But I must disagree. Jack would never put the president in harms way."  
  
"Do I have to remind you about the day Jacks wife died?"  
  
"Sir he kept the President alive that day. Against all odds he kept the president alive." Chase said in Jacks defense.  
  
"And what if the president is at the warehouse and team raids it? They'll kill the president and we'll have to live with the blame." Chappelle said.  
  
Tony remained silent he knew what he was going to do the second Chase ran up with the news. "Than we do it stealthily. A small team. Two people who will take any responsibility if something goes wrong."  
  
"And who would this two man team be?" Chappelle said, already knowing the answer, but then he never asked a question he wasn't sure of the answer of.  
  
"Chase and I. If he is willing to go."  
  
"Of course I am." Chase said.  
  
"And you think you can take everyone in the warehouse out by yourselves?"  
  
"No, but once we have confirmation that the president is there you can send a team in to back us up, so that all we have to do is get in find the president and Jack and hold the people off until you get there with reinforcements."  
  
"I'll have to get permission for this."  
  
"Forget permission. Lets do it. All you have to do is put a team on standby and have them a few miles outside of the warehouse. Chase and I will go in and call you for reinforcements. If we don't act now they might move. And clearly Treadstone has some people on his side high up so that if we tried to get permission he might be tipped off and they will either kill the President, or move him."  
  
"Fine. Just so you know the President is the main task in this mission not Jack Bauer."  
  
"Yes sir. If you don't mind we have to go get ready now. Do we know which warehouse yet?"  
  
"It has to be one of them; they were still watching when I left." Chase answered  
  
2:10 p.m.  
  
Marie pulled into the warehouse. They already had the door open and waiting for her arrival. Once inside the guys in the van got out and one of Treadstones people helped Jack out of the back.  
  
"Take back to the room." Treadstone ordered.  
  
"Should I leave him chained?"  
  
"No. There's no need." Treadstone walked up to the man who was unchaining Jack and said in a soft voice, "Post two trustworthy people outside the door. Watch to make sure that no one tries to get in or out."  
  
The man and Jack walked back to the room. The man opened the door and Jack walked in. As soon as he was in the room the door was shut and locked behind him. He heard two people talking outside about having to baby-sit the people.  
  
Kate came running up to Jack and hugged him. Jack cringed in pain when she rubbed against his chest. Feeling him cringe she said softly, "Sorry."  
  
"Is everyone ok?" Jack asked looking at the President.  
  
"Yes. They haven't bothered us since they came and go you. Where did you go?" The president asked.  
  
"Sir they had me go with Marie Warner to pick up three people. Two of which I don't know and one of which was Siad Ali."  
  
"How is Marie Warner free?"  
  
"Sir I'm not sure. I believe she escaped, but I don't have the full details."  
  
"Jack you look like hell and you look like you could use some down time. Why don't you sit down and rest. If anything happens you'll hear it your in the same room." The president said because Jack clearly was tired and in pain.  
  
"Sir with all due respect it is my job to keep you safe."  
  
"Jack it's an order. And it's your job to keep everyone safe, and follow my orders."  
  
Jack sat in the corner with Kate Warner. Nina hadn't said a word since the argument earlier. She didn't even acknowledge that Jack had re- entered the room. She hated being locked in here with them. The President sat down by Nina and tried to strike up a conversation.  
  
"Thanks for helping out earlier. I know you have no loyalties and you didn't have to help Jack earlier, but you did. That has something to say about you. Maybe you aren't a lost cause. When this is all over if we all survive I will allow you to leave the country unharmed. I know that's all you want, but please do me a favor, stop doing illegal things that'll hurt the U.S."  
  
"I have no choice but to do those things. I am not a free agent like everyone thinks. I have never been. I have a boss and I have to answer to him. He seems to have given up on me in the fact that he had people turn me over to Treadstone, but after four failed attempts now I'm lucky to be alive. If word gets back that I helped Jack today, as it already has, I'm not going to enjoy having freedom outside of the U.S. unless I am able to access my accounts. So it doesn't really matter sir."  
  
Kate was looked in Jacks eyes and she whispered to him, "I think we should try it again Jack. That's what I came over earlier today for. I wanted to see if you wanted to try being together again. I can accept that fact that you are going to need time and space to deal with your lost, but I want to be there for you. I want you to be there for me."  
  
Jack whispered back, "Kate I don't know if I'll be ever able to give you what you want."  
  
She looked at him and said, "All I've ever wanted was you to be open with me. I know that will take time, and I'm willing to wait it out now. All I want from you is a promise that you will try to open up."  
  
"I can't promise anything will happen, but I will promise to try. Now let's be quiet and enjoy a moment of peace."  
  
2:25  
  
Tony and Chase were dressed in black S.W.A.T. outfits. They each had a silence MP-5 and were ready to drive to the abandoned warehouse they traced Jack back to. Neither of the men talked. They both were focusing on what they had to do. It was a gutsy thing to do, but someone had to do something.  
  
In some weird way Chase was happy to have a chance to have some action. He didn't like sitting around to long, and that was what he had done all day. He wanted to go in and save everyone on his white hoarse guns ready.  
  
2:30  
  
Treadstone called his contact, "I have Nina what do you want done with her?"  
  
"She is too valuable to kill. Please keep her for awhile. I should have known dealing with Jack would have been too much for her. I'll reimburse you for it somehow."  
  
"It's ok. I understand we all have our weak spots you know hers now. But I have some business to attend to so would you please excuse me."  
  
Treadstone hung the phone up and went to the room where everyone was being held. One of the guards opened the door and allowed Treadstone and two others in the room. "Take the girls next door." He ordered one of the two guards.  
  
Kate and Nina both got up and followed the guard to the next room.  
  
"Mr. President we have some business to attend to. I need you to contact the person who will release all seized funds from my organization."  
  
"I can't do that."  
  
"I was afraid you would say that." Treadstone looked at the two men.  
  
They walked over to Jack one of them picked him up and the other squeezed the area in which Jack was shot earlier. Jack screamed in pain.  
  
Next door Kate heard it and she looked at Nina hoping something would console her. But there was nothing in her eyes.  
  
"Should we try again Mr. President?"  
  
"I'm sorry I can't. All of the funds are automatically rerouted and disbursed. They're gone."  
  
"Wrong answer."  
  
One of the men punched Jack in the face twice. Blood flew out of his mouth onto the wall.  
  
"I can't get the money. It's gone. Please stop." Palmer pleaded.  
  
"Sorry wrong answer."  
  
The man smashed Jacks head against the wall breaking open the gash on the back of Jacks head. Jack squeezed his eyes shut trying to stay conscious.  
  
"I can't get the funds, but I can try to give you some out of my own pocket, but I don't have the money to give its all gone."  
  
This time the man punched Jack's rib cage and stomach knocking the wind out of Jack. The other allowed Jack to fall to the ground with a thud.  
  
"Shall we try again?"  
  
"I'll call someone, and they'll tell you the same thing will that make you happy."  
  
"Make the call." Treadstone said handing Palmer the phone.  
  
Palmer dialed the number to the head of the CIA. He figured he would know what to do. "It's President Palmer put John on the phone."  
  
"Sir. Are you Ok?" John asked surprised by the call. He knew about the President and was worried about his well being.  
  
"I'm fine John. I'm here with Mr. Treadstone he is worried about the funds we seized earlier this year. Please explain it to him."  
  
The president handed Treadstone the phone. John the CIA guy went through and told him pretty much the same thing the President had.  
  
Meanwhile Jack was lying on the floor breathing heavily trying to ignore the pain in his body. He was trying hard to stay conscious.  
  
Treadstone hung up the phone and said, "Fine you will divert the funds from somewhere else."  
  
"We can't we don't have the money."  
  
Treadstone singled for one of the guys to come over and he went to go hit the president when Jack jumped up and knocked the guy next to him down. Everyone was surprised that Jack was able to get up as quick as he did. The other guy went towards Jack who was fighting to stay standing. The guy pointed his gun at Jack who was leaning against the wall. The guy Jack knocked down got up and smashed Jack in the head with the butt of his gun. Jack's head bounced of the wall and Jack fell to the ground.  
  
"Leave Mr. Bauer alone. We need him to stay conscious. Mr. President I'm going to leave you in here for awhile to think about it. When I get back we will not be so nice."  
  
Treadstone and his men left the room. The president went over to Jack and asked, "Are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine sir."  
  
"No your not your head is bleeding again and so is your gunshot wound."  
  
"I'll be fine. I've been through worse sir."  
  
2:45  
  
Tony and Chase were outside of the building that the van went into. It was decided that they would go around back and meet up and enter through the back exit. Inside Tony would go to the left and Chase to the right. If they found the President and Jack they would radio otherwise it was pure radio silence. When the reached the back Tony picked the lock and Chase went in first. When he entered no one was in sight Tony followed behind him.  
  
Tony went to the left and slowly walked down the corridor. He saw a guy at the end of it and before the guy could say anything Tony shot him twice in the face between the eyes and the upper lip like he was taught to do in the Marines. Before the man hit the ground he was dead.  
  
Chase on the right walked down another corridor when he saw two men talking outside of a room. Chase raised his weapon and fired four quick shots. Each hitting there target in the throats and than the head. Chase walked quickly towards the room. He searched the men's pockets for keys to the dead bolt. He found the keys in the second guy's pocket. He unlocked the door to the first room and inside sat Kate and Nina.  
  
"Kate what are you doing here?" Was the first thing that Chase asked.  
  
"They grabbed me when they grabbed Jack. I was over at his house." She answered.  
  
"Have you seen Jack or the President?"  
  
"They're next door." Nina answered Chase's question.  
  
"I got to go get them. Stay here I'll be back in a moment with both of them." Chase walked out of the room and opened the door to the room that the President and Jack were in. He saw Jack lying on the floor and the president standing over him.  
  
"Did I miss the party guys?" Chase asked looking in. "Sorry Mr. President."  
  
"That's fine. It's nice to see you."  
  
"Jack can you help me drag these bodies in here so we can hide them and get out of here."  
  
"Jack isn't in the best shape. I'll help." The president said.  
  
Chase and the President dragged the two bodies in side the room. Chase radioed Tony, "I have the cargo plus two. We are going to head out the way we entered."  
  
"I'll meet you . . " Tony said before gunshots were heard.  
  
"T are you there?" Chase said into his radio. Tony did not answer.  
  
Jack stood up with the help of the President. Jack ordered, "Chase go find Tony. Do you have an extra gun? I'll get the President and the girls out of here."  
  
Chase threw Jack a gun, "Are you sure you can do it? I don't mean to undermine you, but you aren't exactly in the best shape."  
  
"I've gone through worse and walked out. We'll be fine. Do you have extra clips?"  
  
Chase handed jack the two extra clips he had for his 9mm berretta. "Thanks Chase. Get Tony. Where is the car at?"  
  
"About a mile down the road. In some brush."  
  
"We might be there if you can't find us outside."  
  
Chase took off towards the direction Tony went. Jack, the President, Nina, and Kate took off in the direction of the back exit Chase instructed Jack on how to get out of the building. When they reached the exit Asid was right behind them. She started to fire at Jack and the others. Jack fired back as Nina and Kate ran outside. The president was hit by a bullet and fell to the ground. "Mr. President are you hit?" Jack asked as he took cover behind a corner.  
  
"I'm fine the bullet just hit me in my hip. I'll be fine. It didn't hit an artery."  
  
Jack turned to fire on Siad again when a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. He turned around and saw that Marie had stabbed him in the shoulder, she came at him again and this time she inserted the knife between his shoulder blades. Jack screamed in pain. Grabbed the gun off the floor and shot Marie point blank in the head. Jack stood the knife was still inserted into his shoulder. He didn't want to pull it out with his one good arm he pointed the gun down the hallway and entered it to try to grab the president so that he would not be shot by Siad. Siad shot as soon as he saw Jack enter the hallway. The bullet connected with Jacks throat and Jack fell to the floor.  
  
By this time Chase and was dragging Tony behind him. Tony had been shot in the leg and was unable to walk. Chase saw Jack go down on top of the fallen President. He turned the corner and fired three shots hitting the terrorist and killing him.  
  
Chase looked down at Jack who was struggling to breath. Chase was saying something, but it sounded like Chase was far away and Jack couldn't make it out. Chase set Tony next to Jack and said, "Can you protect these two while I run and get the car?"  
  
"I got it go hurry. Mr. President can you apply pressure to Jacks neck so he doesn't bleed to death?"  
  
"Yeah." The president said as he pulled himself up to a setting position holding Jacks neck trying not to squeeze to hard. Jack was looking at him; Jacks eyes had fear in them. Jack tried to say something, but blood just came out. "Shh. Jack don't speak. Everyone is fine Chase will be back with the car soon."  
  
Tony grabbed his radio and said, "We have the president. Jacks down. Man he's bad. Get the medical people here." Tony tried to hide the fear in his voice, but he knew that this was a lot worse than the one time he was shot in the neck.  
  
2:57 2:58 2:59 


	16. 3:00 4:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 3:00 and 4:00 p.m.  
  
3:00  
  
Kim sat nervously at her desk. She knew the truth now because Chase had told her he was going to pick up her father and the President. Kim heard through Tony's radio that her father was hurt bad. She was holding back tears. She felt bad for arguing with her father earlier. If he died and they left on those terms she would hate herself forever.  
  
Michelle came down from a meeting with Chappelle and she automatically began to console Kim. Saying things like, "He'll be fine. Don't worry Chase and Tony are there. He's fine" but nothing she said helped Kim feel better. She could hear the fear in Tony's voice when he said Jack was down and he was hurt bad. She knew that meant it was a life threatening wound. Kim wanted to run to her father and hold him telling him everything is fine and she loved him.  
  
3:10  
  
Jack lay on the floor. Palmer had Jacks blood all over him. The helicopter landed and two men came running in the building they went to grab the President, but he said, "Get Jack on the helicopter. I can walk. He is hurt worse. I want all your attention on him."  
  
One of the men began to argue, but the President said, "This man is hurt worse. I will be fine he is fighting for his life."  
  
Palmer looked at Jack. His features on his face were that of pain. The color had drained from Jacks face. His eyes were fixed on Palmer. He did not move his eyes from the president and the president did not allow himself to blink or break eye contact. "Jack it's going to be fine. You stay with me and fight. I order you too. You can't die and that is an order. If you die I'll make sure you are written up for insubordination."  
  
Jack tried to laugh at the joke, but no noise was made he smiled even if it hurt worse. The President followed the men that were carrying Jack on the stretcher. When they got him into the helicopter Jack began to shake uncontrollably.  
  
"He's in shock. Bag him before he crashes. I need something to stop the bleeding. He's a lucky son of a bitch. The bullet didn't hit an artery. If it had he'd be dead." The man said for the benefit of the President.  
  
One of the men held Jack down as he was shaking so uncontrollably the man feared Jack might fall off the stretcher. They worked on him feverously trying to control the bleeding in Jacks neck.  
  
Chase came back in with the car outside. He grabbed Tony and the drove off after the helicopter to the hospital. Kate sat in the back silently crying. Nina just sat there she didn't say anything nor did she seem like she cared. Inside Nina was scared for Jack. She saw the blood on the floor and the men carry him out. She knew it wasn't good.  
  
3:15  
  
As the helicopter approached the hospital the EMT were getting Jack ready to go into emergency surgery. They prepped him and by time they landed Jack was all ready.  
  
The president got off the helicopter with the help of one of the EMT's. The man helped him down into a private room where a doctor was ready to take the bullet out and fix the wound.  
  
3:20  
  
Kim heard that her father made it to the hospital and that Tony and the President were both hurt. She and Michelle asked for permission to leave from Chappelle. Chappelle thought about it for a moment. The threat seemed to be neutralized and Treadstone was probably already on his way out of the country there was no way to catch him now. "Fine. I want you two to be assessable by cell phone though. Incase we have another emergency. I'm already short staffed now."  
  
Michelle said that she would have her cell phone on and would alert Kim if they were needed. With that Michelle and Kim ran to Michelle's car. Michelle drove ninety all the way to the hospital, through the traffic and all. She had her siren on and she meant business. If someone got in her way she would run them over.  
  
3:25  
  
Chase, Tony, Kate, and Nina all made it to the hospital. Nina and Chase helped Tony into the ER where a doctor tended to him. Kate found a nurse and asked about Jack. The nurse told her he made it here and was in surgery. The President wanted to see all of them when they could make it up to his room. They were to contact Erin the president's head of secret service and he would direct them to his room.  
  
A few moments later Kim and Michelle entered the hospital. Kate and Nina were still standing in the hallway of the ER when the two entered and Kate walked over to Kim and hugged her. Michelle asked, "How is he?"  
  
Kate tried to answer her, but the tears she was holding back wouldn't let her.  
  
Nina said, "They have him in surgery now. That's all we know. He made it here and is in surgery. It seems like its going to be a long surgery."  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kim said angry.  
  
"I was with them. Treadstone grabbed me when I was trying to flee. I told the President I'd stick it out and help. I want to make sure everyone is fine and than with the Presidents permission I will leave the country."  
  
"It's your entire fault. You did this all. First you kill him by betraying him, than killing my mother, now you have to kill him. I wish it was you. When you die no one will miss you. We will throw a party of joy when you die. You killed my mother and now you're responsible for my father . . ." Kim began to cry harder.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't know it was going to go this far. I never knew." Nina said. She didn't say anything else. Not matter what she said she could not make up for anything. She was always able to kill people, but looking at Kim now and how much the one kill hurt her, bothered Nina. It made the little part in Nina that was still human hurt.  
  
Erin the Presidents secret service chief walked up to them and said, "Ladies would you please follow me. The president would like to see all of you. Mrs. Almeida your husband will join us as soon as the doctor is done with him, and so will yours Mrs. Edmunds."  
  
The women followed Erin to the Presidents room. When they entered the found the President sitting up in bed. He looked at Kim and said, "I'm so sorry. He was trying to save me. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry Kim. Please forgive me."  
  
"Sir it's not your fault. It's no ones fault. Hopefully he will pull through." Kim said holding back the tears she so desperately wanted to let out.  
  
"He's strong he'll pull through." The President said trying to console Kim. They both knew that either way was very possible.  
  
A few moments later Tony and Chase joined them. Tony was on crutches and he hugged Michelle as soon as he walked in the room. Chase walked up to Kim who buried her head in his chest and began to cry. Chase didn't say anything. He just held his wife and prayed to the God he grew up with hoping for Jack to pull through.  
  
A doctor entered the room, and everyone go silent. "Excuse me. I just need to check up on the President."  
  
"I'm fine. Do you have any new on Mr. Bauer?"  
  
"No sir. But I will go ask to see how he is doing."  
  
3:40  
  
Treadstone cursed himself. He made a mistake and mistakes were not easily forgiven in his business. He got on his private jet and flew out of the United States. He didn't know where he should go so he said headed towards Germany. There he would find some old acquaintances and try for plan C. He heard about Bauer and secretly hoped that man died. He thought about trying to get someone to kill him in the hospital, but when he heard the extent of Bauer's injuries he decided to wait off on that. Maybe he'd get lucky and Bauer would die naturally.  
  
He wondered if he would have any repercussions from this. He decided to lay low for awhile. He had to. The U.S. government and their allies would be after him, and possibly others, like second wave. They have lost two high officials today Marie and Siad. They would not look happily upon that. Maybe he could recruit an Israeli terror group; the few that existed would be hard because of his known association with Arabs.  
  
3:45  
  
The doctors had stopped the bleeding in Jacks neck and were know trying to fix whatever damage there was. Another doctor was working on Jacks shoulder. He was stabbed twice once in the back and one between his collar bone and the back shoulder blade. There was some damage to the nerve, but it was minor.  
  
Jack was dreaming of Kim's tenth birthday. He and Teri took Kim and a group of her friends to MGM grand studios. They did everything there was to do. That was the only birthday he was present for. Almost every other birthday he had to leave out or was in some other country. Than his mind drifted to his own childhood, he rarely ever talked about it. His father was an alcoholic and a drug addict. His father would beat his mother, and Jack would sit in his room crying. His older sister would never even talk about it. He joined the Army outside of high school and excelled at it. Through the Army he went to college than into Delta and on to CTU.  
  
3:50  
  
Nina felt out of place in the room. She wanted to leave, but she couldn't because she wanted to know that Jack was fine. She prayed for the man she hated. She couldn't imagine taking him from Kim. She felt guilty and she sat in the corner alone trying not to show her feelings. Everyone had someone there who cared about them, and every one there wanted her dead. She thought about the first time she saw Jack. He was a dashing happy man who was so arrogant. He showed her around CTU and they had lunch together. They hit it off. They were a lot alike, but he didn't know she was on the other side. It was weird for her at first. Talking to what she figured to be her counterpart on the other side.  
  
3:57 3:58 3:59 


	17. 4:00 5:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.  
  
4:00  
  
Everyone sat in Palmers room quietly. Everyone reflecting on some moment they had with Jack. Palmer reflected on the first time he meant Jack. He wanted to beat the man senseless as he thought about how Jack tried to kill him earlier. He did not know why at the moment, but it pissed him off. When he confronted Jack even though Jack was clearly pissed off he kept his cool and explained the situation to the senator respectfully. Jack never once showed him disrespect nor complained. Even after Palmers ex-wife put Jacks family in danger, and than later Jack in danger. Jack always was there to do what he needed. He was a loyal man and a great friend. Earlier that year Palmer tried to get Jack to settle for a desk job, but Jack refused. Jack told him he could never handle just a desk job. He had to have action and feel like he was doing something. He couldn't sit ideally by and follow the rules. In some ways Palmer understood him.  
  
A doctor walked in and said, "I checked on Mr. Bauer. The surgeon has gotten the bleeding to stop; now they are trying to repair the damage. His vitals are stable right now. He is still in the dark though. We are not sure if he will pull through, but were not sure that he will die either. It is still fifty-fifty, but he seems to be a strong man and a fighter and that is good."  
  
"Thank you doctor. Please let me know as soon a he is out of surgery. His daughter needs to see him as soon. The minute he is in the recovery room I want her there." Palmer said.  
  
"No problem sir." The doctor said, knowing better than to argue with him.  
  
4:10  
  
Jack was still in surgery and the doctors were almost finished with repairing the neck wound damage. They had his shoulder wound sewed up and every other wound tended to. If he survived the night he would live. They were hopeful and everything was working out right.  
  
4:15  
  
The doctor who updated them earlier came into Palmers room again said, "Mr. Bauer should be out of surgery at any moment. The doctors need a few moments to tend to some of the minor wounds, like the cut to his head, and they need to CAT scan it to make sure the swelling is not to server. While they are cat scanning Mr. Bauer's daughter can sit in the room with the technicians. When he gets to his room two people can be in there at a time."  
  
"Thank you doctor."  
  
"No problem sir. I should let you know it is still a gamble, but if he survives tonight he'll survive." The doctor said as he turned to walk out of the room.  
  
Tony took Michelle's cell phone and called his office. He knew Chappelle would be sitting in there now. After two rings Chappelle answered the phone, "Chappelle"  
  
"Chappelle it is Tony. Jack made it out of surgery can you get two people down here to watch his room, just to be safe. I don't want Treadstone or anyone coming back to finish job."  
  
"Sure Tony. How is the President?"  
  
"He's fine. We are all in his room now waiting to be able to see Jack. They have a few things they had to do for him, but if he survives tonight he's should live."  
  
"That's great news. I'll tell the people. By the way they found the missing tech guy, Dan."  
  
"Where was he?"  
  
"Dead outside of Jack's apartment."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't know what happened yet. When Jack wakes up question him about it. I don't think he did it, but I need to make sure."  
  
Kim got up and walked to the nurse's station where she was escorted to the CAT scan room. When she saw her father she wanted to cry he looked so horrible. He was pale, paler than she'd ever seen him. His neck and shoulder were covered in bandages. And his chest was purple. She held back her tears and looked at him. She wanted to hold his hand so bad and tell him she was there and everything was going to be ok.  
  
4:20  
  
Chappelle called back on Michelle cell phone. "We have a possible lead on Treadstone. We have a mole inside one of the terrorist groups he has under his control. The mole said that he was on his way there. Somewhere in Germany, we stopped all planes heading in that direction and we believe we have his. The excuse we used to stop them was that the President Air Force One was flying and with the recent threat we didn't want any plane in the sky with it. So Treadstone should expect anything. I need Chase and either Kim or Michelle to come back. I want Chase to go up north with a team and capture Treadstone. I need Michelle or Kim to handle the communications and satellite projects." Chappelle told Tony.  
  
Tony put his hand over the phone and said, "He needs Chase and Michelle to go back to CTU. He said Michelle or Kim, but I think . . ."  
  
Michelle cut him off, "No problem. You are right she should be here for her father. Chase and I will handle it. You keep in contact with me about Jacks situation and I'll communicate it to Chase. That way no one is out of the loop. I wish Chase didn't have to go because Kim will need someone her to help her, but Kate you can do that right?"  
  
"Yeah. I can help Kim out." Kate said.  
  
"That's settled tell Chappelle I'm going to leave the phone with you and Chase and I should be at CTU within the hour."  
  
Tony took his hand off the receiver of the phone and communicated the plans to Chappelle. "Who do you have coming over to watch Jack?"  
  
"Actually the President already arranged for two of his secret service men to watch over Jack." Chappelle answered.  
  
4:30  
  
The doctors stood over the picture of Jacks CAT scan. One of them walked over to Kim and said, "He does not have any major damage to his head. Luckily he does not have a skull fracture. That man must have one hell of a hard head."  
  
Trying to find the silver lining Kim said, "You don't even know."  
  
The doctor smiled, he was happy to see this mans daughter dealing with the situation so well. Usually families fall apart in front of him. "We're going to take him to a post-op room in the Critical Condition wing. Why don't you go get some of those people waiting for him. We can make an exception this one time and allow everyone who can fit into the room for an hour. After that it is limited to two people."  
  
"Thank you doctor. Thank you for everything."  
  
"It's my job hon."  
  
4:40  
  
Treadstone calmly sat on his plane. He figured there was no way they could track him to this plane. He just had to wait out the president's plan flying over and than he was on his way to Germany and to safety. He sat and drank a stiff shot of whiskey. He only indulged himself with whiskey when he had just got out of an extremely stressful situation. Today qualified as an extremely stressful situation. He just got news on his cell phone that Jack Bauer survived surgery and if he survived the night he would live. On top of that problem two secret service agents were posted outside of his door, and the president arranged for only his doctors to have access to Jack. The only other people allowed in would be family and close friends. His other mole would not even go near that room. She refused to. Somehow Treadstone had to get to Jack Bauer. If he was able to kill him maybe the second wave would over look the fact that two of their own were killed if their enemy was killed. He called Nina's boss and said, "Not only did she help Bauer escape she's with him now."  
  
"I don't know what she's up too. She's still close to Bauer if I can get into contact with her I'll see if she'll kill him, but I think I just lost one of my best agents because of you. I can't replace her she was to damn good."  
  
"I'm sorry, but there isn't anything I can do. I am in the middle of trying to escape with my life right now." Treadstone said.  
  
4:50  
  
The President walked into Jacks room with Kim. Kim was holding her fathers hand and running her fingers through his hair. When the President looked at Jack he noticed that Jack was still pale. Jack had a peaceful look on his face. He was almost smiling. Palmer prayed that Jack would survive the night and recover from these injuries. He would order Jack to go on vacation outside of L.A. and California. Maybe even a trip to the white house. Palmer owed Jack a lot and nothing like a night in the white house, but knowing his luck that's when a full scale attack would occur. Jack was going on vacation and that is it. He would do whatever he had to so that Jack would take a few weeks break.  
  
4:57 4:58 4:59 


	18. 5:00 6:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 5:00 and 6:00 p.m.  
  
5:00  
  
The President sat in the room with everyone. They all looked at Jack hoping he would wake up. If he woke up everything had to be fine they told themselves. Tony felt guilty. If he had not screwed up Chase would not have had to double back and get him, and Jack wouldn't have had to protect the President by himself. Everyone had a reason to fell guilty and no one spoke about their guilt. They all sat praying for Jack to survive.  
  
Tony's cell phone rang and everyone jumped at it.  
  
"Hello" Tony said quietly as if he would wake Jack if he spoke louder.  
  
"Tony Michelle, How is Jack?"  
  
"He's out of surgery. They said if he survives tonight he'll live. We're all in his room now waiting for him to wake up."  
  
"How's Kim?"  
  
"I think fine. I'm not sure."  
  
Kim knew they were talking about her. She didn't acknowledge it though. She sat by her sleeping father and held his hand. She would kiss it every now and than, but mostly she stared at him waiting for movement anything. She was afraid to loose him. All she had was Chase and him. Chase's parents were good people, but they did not seem to like Kim or her father. Even though they had never meant Jack they had heard about some of his past and they didn't like it. They were not happy with Chase's choice of a career they were like hippies and didn't believe in taking another human life. They knew what Chase did and ignored it.  
  
Tony looked at Kim and said, "Chase is on his way to Treadstone. He had a team of twelve others. They should have Treadstone in their possession within the hour."  
  
"Tell him to be safe."  
  
"You know he will be. How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
Nina stood up and said, "I'm hungry. Does anyone want me to bring them back something to eat? I'm going to run to the cafeteria and get some food and something to drink."  
  
"I'm not hungry." Kim said.  
  
"You really should eat." Nina said trying to be nice and caring, something new for her.  
  
"Don't try to tell me what you think I should do. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you." Kim snapped.  
  
Tony jumped in and said, "Can you get us all some coffee."  
  
"Sure. I'll order a pizza too. Pepperoni ok with everyone."  
  
"Yeah. I don't remember the last time I had a Pizza." The president said.  
  
"I'll order a couple than." Nina said trying to make light of a bad situation.  
  
Kate got up and said, "I'll go with you. You'll need some help. Tony call me if Jack even moves."  
  
"Will do. Thanks you guys." Tony said.  
  
Kate and Nina walked out of the room. Kate called the local Papa John's and ordered three pizza's. She knew it was over kill, but she wanted to make sure everyone had enough food and she had to feel like she was doing something. She gave them her credit card number and said a secret service guy would pick it up. One of the men left to watch the food being cooked and all. Kate and Nina walked to the cafeteria and picked up five coffees. When they returned to the room Ryan Chappelle was inside. Nina froze for a moment. She was still not use to being around all of these people who she had betrayed.  
  
Kate walked over to Kim and hugged her. She gave her a coffee and handed her a coffee and two crèmes and three sugars. "Thanks Kate."  
  
5:30  
  
Treadstone was starting to worry a little as his plan had been delayed for almost forty-five minutes. He didn't want to leave the plane though. He could not escape any other way. He had drunk half of his whiskey now and was well past being drunk. He needed to stop, but everything made him continue. He had never failed until now. He had plan C in place, but it was hard to get to Bauer. They had secret service agents outside his door, and his friends and family inside. Getting someone in would be impossible.  
  
As that thought occurred to him, the door to his plane busted open and guys dressed in black came rushing in. He went to move, but one of them shot him in the leg and he fell to the ground holding his leg.  
  
"Please move. Just give me a reason to shoot you." One of them said with his gun pointed at Treadstones head.  
  
Chase wanted to pull the trigger, but something in him would not allow it. One of the other teamed handcuffed Treadstone. The pilot came out of the cockpit firing. Chase and the others dove for cover behind some chairs. Chase cursed himself for not clearing the cockpit. He was so worried about Treadstone that it never occurred to him. Chase fired around the chair as two more men joined the pilot in the gun fight. They kept trading fire. One of the men on Chase's team was hit in the chest. He fell to the ground and yelped in pain. Two more men went down. Chase took yelled, "We need back up. There is like an army coming from somewhere." He yelled as more men joined in the gun fight. Chase did not know where they were coming from. They perimeter was suppose to be covered by the police.  
  
Two of the Treadstones men went down. Chase grabbed Treadstone and yelled, "Stop it or he's dead."  
  
The men hesitated for a second and they shot Treadstone in the hip sending Treadstone and Chase to the floor. Chase fired three shots hitting two more of the terrorist. He was running out of ammo fast and only three people were left on his team.  
  
Someone yelled, "Chase do you have a clip? I'm out."  
  
Chase tossed the clip to the man, and said, "It's my last make it last."  
  
5:40  
  
The pizza arrived and everyone dug into it. Hunger came over all of them. A doctor came in and checked up on the President, Tony, and Jack.  
  
The doctor said, "This has become a party in here. You all can stay in here only for another twenty minutes than I want only two people in here." Everyone agreed to leave in twenty minutes and the doctor walked out.  
  
Chappelle left saying he had to get back to the office. Shortly after that Kim fell asleep holding her fathers hand. The others quietly debated a schedule to spend in here with Kim. They all decided Kim deserved to stay in here, and they would rotate after that. When Jack woke up they would argue to get to come in and see him all together.  
  
Nina walked out to the nurse's station and asked, "Is there any way we can get another blanket for his daughter. She fell asleep and I would like to cover her."  
  
The nurse said, "No problem. Wait here I'll go grab one."  
  
When Nina walked back into the room and covered Kim everyone was in shock. They all say Nina as a cold hearted person, but this was a new side to her. Tony would stay in the room with Kim first, than Kate, the President, and Nina. They all exited the room besides Tony and Kim. Tony sat in his chair and watched Jack's chest rise and fall. It was weird to look at Jack with oxygen tubes in his nose. It was weird to see Jack asleep. This was the first time he ever saw Jack truly at peace. Even before his wives death Jack was high strung.  
  
Tony limped over to Jack and said quietly, "Don't you die on us. Kim needs you and we need you Jack. You fight damn it."  
  
Jack was dreaming of his childhood again. His father died when he was twenty. Jack was never close to his father. He hated him that is why Jack joined the Army was to get away from his father. Before his father died he had asked Jack to visit him. Jack refused to until his older sister came to the base Jack was stationed at and begged him to visit their dying father. Jack and she got into a fight. Jack wanted nothing to do with the man that beat his mother, and later in life him. He told him. I left to get away from him, and now I'm happy where I'm at, why should I go and visit him again. What gives him the right to ask me?"  
  
She replied, "Jack he's dying. No matter what he did in his life, he was still our father. He is half the man he use to be. All the horrible things he did would haunt him in the afterlife, but don't let them haunt him now. You made your point when you left and never called back. Please do it for me and mom. We both want to see you again."  
  
Jack walked away from her. He had no intention of going to see the man that made his life hell for so many years. But when he looked in the window of a building he saw his sister crying. He turned around and walked to her and hugged her. "I'll do it. Just stop crying. I'm sorry I left."  
  
Jack followed her back to their father. When Jack walked into the room he was still in his uniform. He caught a flight to his home town, and to fly on a department of defense airplane you had to be in uniform. When he walked into the room in his well decorated uniform his mom began to cry. She had not seen him in so many years. She hugged him and said, "I'm so happy to see you. I love you Jack. You look so good in your uniform."  
  
His father sat up and looked at him. His father's eyes were red and blood shot. His father was skinner than what Jack remembered. His father said in a soft voice, "Thank you son. I'm sorry. I'm so proud of you."  
  
Jack looked at him and all the hate he felt for the man was there, but knowing this was his father dying Jack did not show it he said to try to console the dying man, "Its ok dad." He did this as a soldier would do to a dying friend on the battle field. Knowing the person was going to die one would tell the person anything they wanted to hear to make their death better. Jacks father died that night. Jack stayed a week and helped make the arrangements and console his mother and sister. Jack even helped fix up some of the rooms in the house were holes had been in the walls from his father's anger. When Jack left he promised to write, but he never did. His mother died a year before Teri died and Jack visited her in the hospital and stayed with her for the month it took her to die from cancer. Jack's sister had not talked to him since Teri's death. She showed up to the funeral with her husband Marshall and their daughter Susan. Neither spoke to one another. She was still mad at Jack abandoning them.  
  
5:50  
  
Nina remembered that Jack had a sister, she communicated this to Kate who called Michelle to see if they had anything on record about it.  
  
"Hi Michelle it is Kate. Nina just informed me that Jack has a sister. Is there any way you might be able to contact her?"  
  
"Let me look at Jack's personal file. We might be able to find a number for her. I'll call you if I find one."  
  
"Thanks Michelle."  
  
"How is Jack?"  
  
"He still breathing."  
  
"How are you?"  
  
"I'm still breathing. I'm worried about him."  
  
"Have you two gotten back together?"  
  
"No not yet. We are talking about it. Hopefully he'll pull through and when he does he'll need me to help him recover and maybe more."  
  
"You and him are great together and I hope for the best for both of you."  
  
"How is Kim?"  
  
"She fell asleep. She's in the room with him now so is Tony."  
  
"Good. I got to go. We sort of have a situation here. But don't worry we got it under control and Chase is fine."  
  
"Good Kim has gone through enough today."  
  
5:57 5:58 5:59 


	19. 6:00 7:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 6:00 and 7:00 p.m.  
  
6:00  
  
Tony looked out the window and noticed the sun was gone. He got up out of the chair he was sitting in and walked out to the hallway. He found Kate and said, "I need to catch some sleep. I'm going to be in the lounge will you take over in the room. Kim and Jack are both still asleep."  
  
"Yeah. I'm going to give you my cell phone. Michelle is suppose to call me back with Jack's sister number. I don't want to wake Kim up with it." Kate said as she handed him her cell phone.  
  
"No problem. Do you want me to call her?" Tony asked knowing that calling loved ones of people who have been seriously injured are hard.  
  
"Sure. I don't know what to say to her. I've never meant her, and Jack has never mentioned her."  
  
"I don't think they are on the closest terms. I've never heard him talk about her. I saw her once at Teri's funeral." Tony hobbled down the hallway to the waiting room that had now been taken over by the President and his staff. The president saw Tony walk in and he said, "Anything new?"  
  
"Nope he's still asleep. We're trying to contact his sister now. I'm going to catch some shut eye on the couch. Sir."  
  
"I'll wake you up if anything happens." Palmer said to Tony.  
  
Tony walked over to the couch and laid down. His leg was hurting and the doctor had given him some pills to take the pain away. Tony got up and grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler that had been set up in the room. He struggled with the lid of the pill bottle. He always had problems getting them to open. He cursed it quietly to himself.  
  
Nina walked up to him took the bottle out of his hands and opened it up for him.  
  
"Thank you." Tony said.  
  
"I'm sorry about all of this Tony. I really am."  
  
"I know you are Nina. I got to get some sleep." Tony said as he walked back to the couch. He laid down and fell asleep as soon as he hit the couch. The weight of the events of the past hours hit him hard. He started to wake up when he felt a thing vibrating in his hands, and there was a phone ringing. He jolted awake when he remembered about Michelle calling with the number to Jacks sister.  
  
"Hello" He said with his voice still sounding sleepy.  
  
"Tony?" Michelle said confused as to why he was answering Kate's phone.  
  
"Yeah. Kate went in to sit with Jack and Kim. She didn't want to wake Kim so she gave me her phone."  
  
"Oh. Sorry to wake you honey, but I got the number she asked for. Jennifer Park her number is 253-9588. She lives in the L.A. area now. Are you going to call her?"  
  
"Yeah. Kate thinks she should know. How are things going?"  
  
"Chase and them haven't been in contact with us for awhile. I'm not sure. We are trying to get in contact with them. I have everyone working on that now."  
  
"I better let you go. You have important things to get too. And I have a call to make. By baby."  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you too." Tony answered back before he hung up the phone. He dialed the number that Michelle had given him. The phone rang three times before a female answered it.  
  
"Yeah!" The female voice said.  
  
"Is Mrs. Jennifer Park there?" Tony asked.  
  
"Hey we signed up for that no solicitation thingy your not suppose to call."  
  
"I'm not with that. Is Jennifer there it's important that I talk to her. It has to do with her brother Jack."  
  
"OH. Hold on."  
  
Tony heard the girl scream for her mom to pick up the phone. Tony also heard the mother pick up the phone and he never heard the girl put the phone down.  
  
"Hello this is Jennifer."  
  
"Hello Jennifer. You probably don't remember me I'm Tony Almeida I work with your brother Jack. We meant at Teri's funeral."  
  
"Sorry I don't remember you. What does this call pertain too?" She asked wondering what a co-worker of Jack's would want. She and Jack no longer talked, and hadn't for a long time.  
  
"I have some bad news to tell you."  
  
She cut him off, "Is he dead?" She said shocked and horrified to hear what the news was.  
  
"No. Not yet. He was injured badly today in the line of work. He's at General Hospital in L.A. He's in critical condition. It wasn't until now that we even remember he had a sister and we had to track your number down. I figured you might want to know."  
  
"Thank you Mr. Almeida. Is he going to die?" She asked scared of the answer.  
  
"We don't know ma'am. The doctors say if he survives tonight he'll live. He got hurt pretty bad."  
  
"What was he doing?" She asked.  
  
The American people don't know that the President was kidnapped earlier. They know he got hurt, but they don't know he was kidnapped so Tony decided to say, "I'm sorry I can't tell you that it's classified."  
  
"Of course. Where is he?"  
  
"General Hospital on the critical condition floor. If you come in tell them to call up to the waiting room the President is in and I'll walk down and get you. They won't allow anyone up here without an escort."  
  
"Oh my God." She said not knowing exactly what her brother did for a living, but now grasping the fact that he might be more successful than she thought. "I should be there soon."  
  
Tony heard the phone on the other line click off, and the woman said, "Is it ok if I bring my daughter. She's only meant Jack twice."  
  
"Yeah. You are his family after all."  
  
6:20  
  
Chase and his team had taken all but three out. They each only had a few shots left and three guys left to take out. Chase looked at the guy across from him and mouthed. Three O'clock. The guy looked at Chase who now held up three fingers and pointing towards the door. The guy seemed to understand what Chase said. Chase turned his gun around the corner and fired a few shots to cover the other guy sticking his head and shooting at the 3 o' clock mark. Chase heard a man scream in pain and fall out of the plane. The guy looked at Chase and held up five fingers. Chase understood and as before the guy covered Chase while he fired his last two shoots hitting there mark and killing the man before he even hit the floor. There was one guy left, Chase yelled behind the cover, "Hey buddy it's only you now. Do you really want to try to take on the rest of us by yourself? Give yourself up and I promise no harm will come to you."  
  
The guy ran towards the door of the plane and the third guy in the back opened fire hitting the guy in the chest hitting the guy's lung.  
  
Chase stood up slowly and looked around. There were dead bodies all over the cabin of the large airplane. Chase felt for the first time in his life that he was at war. That is what his job was, a constant war with terrorist. With that thought he wondered how he got there, and if he really did like his job.  
  
6:35  
  
Jack finally noticed that he had been asleep and he started to wake himself up slowly. As he began to wake up he could feel a sharp pain in his neck and head. His head was cloudier than usually. When he opened his eyes he tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his body and his effort was shot down before he even began to start. He noticed he had oxygen tubes in his nose. He looked around he knew he was in the hospital, but he couldn't remember why. He felt someone holding his hand and he looked down and noticed Kim asleep. He tried to speak her name, but nothing came out, but a quiet squeak. He saw Kate at the other side of his bed and he tried to say her name also, but no noise was coming out of his throat.  
  
A man that resembled a doctor walked in and he almost jumped when he say Jack looking around the room. He had not expected Bauer to wake up today. "Hello Mr. Bauer. Try not to talk. You have some swelling in your voice box area and that will cause some pain. It will be a few days before the swelling goes down some. I'm going to grab a sheet of paper and a pen so that you can answer a few questions about the pain your feeling so I can better attain what is going on."  
  
The doctor walked out to the nurse's station and grabbed a tablet and pen. He helped Jack sit up in bed and handed him the tablet and pen.  
  
Jack wrote on it, my head and neck.  
  
"Good that is to be expected. I'll have one of the nurses give you a little more morphine."  
  
Kim and Kate both woke up when they heard the doctor talking. Kim looked at her father and all of the stress poured out of her body. She wanted to hug him, but she was afraid to hurt him, so she took his hand and kissed it. Kate looked at Jack and said, "Nice of you to join us again."  
  
Jack tried to smile, but it hurt too much.  
  
Kate said, "I better go let the others know you're awake." She got up and left the room.  
  
6:40  
  
Nina walked out of the waiting room after Tony had fallen back asleep. She walked to the payphone in the entrance of the ICU. She called the number she had collect. She waited for the people to accept the charges and the person yelled over the phone, "Nina what in the hell are you doing?"  
  
"You tried to kill me. You had Treadstone."  
  
"No I had Treadstone detain you so that you would not do any more damage. Not only did you help Bauer escape, but you got him back to his people, and aided them in stopping our earlier plan."  
  
"I couldn't kill him, or let him die. I know I said I'd have no problem, and I thought I wouldn't, but I can't."  
  
"I understand, but you should of said something other than help him escape."  
  
"I can't let him die."  
  
"Nina I don't want to hear this. I think they've captured Treadstone and if that occurred you're in some trouble. They won't be happy that he was caught. You have to do something to make it better."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You have to kill Bauer. If he lives this was total failure and if this is a total failure you won't be needed anymore nor will any of us. They will execute you and possible a large amount of the people involved in the situation." The man ordered.  
  
"I can't do it. He is barely pulling through now. I won't do it."  
  
"Than your dead."  
  
"NO. I have an idea. Why do you want him dead so bad? He wasn't the only one who saw Treadstone the President did too?"  
  
"Bauer is a danger to us. And we want to know your loyalty."  
  
"You and I both know I've been loyal to you. Others don't know why I've changed sides; it was always because you ordered it. I don't want to do this though."  
  
"Do it or your dead." Were the mans last words to her before he hung up the phone.  
  
6:45  
  
Tony woke to the president gently shaking him awake. The Presidents powerful voice saying, "Tony. Jack's awake."  
  
Tony jumped to his feet and tried to get his bearings.  
  
Nina walked into the room and asked, "What's going on?"  
  
Tony replied, "Jack just woke up. Where did you go?"  
  
"I went for a walk. It felt like the walls were closing in on me."  
  
Tony felt guilty for thinking that she was up to something else. He knew her from the past, but the person he meant today was a different person. What had changed her though? Or was she lying to them again? They were duped last time, what is keeping them from being duped again? Tony no longer felt guilt, but paranoia took over. He could not trust her, even if she had saved Jacks life, it could be apart of a cover.  
  
They all walked to Jack's door. The President went in first to visit with Jack.  
  
"Hey Jack. How are you feeling?"  
  
Jack wrote that he was fine and thanks for asking sir.  
  
"The doctor said you shouldn't speak. I owe a lot to you and I was going to wait on this, but I'm going to do it now. After you recover I demand, no I order you to take a vacation, outside of LA. I would like to have you at the White House for a night or two. You and whoever you want. Kim, Chase, and Kate if you wish. I owe you and you are a great friend."  
  
Jack wrote down, "Thank you Mr. President."  
  
"No thank you Jack. This is the fourth or fifth time you have saved my life. I don't know where I would be without you. You get some rest now. If you need anything I'm in the waiting room and will make sure you get whatever you want."  
  
Jack wrote down, "Thank you sir." Jacks writing was hard to read because he had to write with his left hand and hold the paper with it at the same time.  
  
Next Tony went in and he and Jack had idle talk about things. While he was in the room Kate's cell phone rang. Tony answered, "Hello?"  
  
"Mr. Almeida I have a Mr. Jennifer Parker here. She says you called her?" A nurse said.  
  
"Yes. Please send her up. Tell her Jack's awake." Almeida ordered.  
  
A few minutes later the woman and her daughter walked into the room. Kim noticed her and got up and hugged her. When they quit hugging Jennifer walked up to her brother and looked at him. She grabbed his hand and didn't say anything. She had tears pouring down her cheeks. The last time she saw Jack in the hospital was when their father broke Jack's arm and ribs. Jack had a server concussion too. Jack stepped in the way of her beating. She didn't know what to say to her brother now. He looked so pale. "We'll be outside. I think others want to see you too." Is all she could say. She let go of her little brothers hand and walked out of the room with her daughter.  
  
Nina went in and asked Kim, "Can you give us a moment by ourselves? I need to tell your father something and I really don't want you to hear it."  
  
Kim hesitated, but than Jack looked at her and she could see that he would like her to leave for a moment. Kim got up and walked out of the room.  
  
"Jack they want me to kill you."  
  
He wrote, "I figured that much. What are you going to do? As it seems I won't be able to stop you."  
  
"If I don't kill you they'll kill me. But if I kill you someone else will kill me. I don't know."  
  
"I shouldn't help you at all. I should let them kill you. You killed my wife, and I should allow you to die for it. But that is what the difference is between you and me. I don't know what to tell you."  
  
"I was afraid you'd say that." Nina said as she pulled a gun out of her coat pocket.  
  
Jack froze in the bed. He laughed at the irony of the situation. He survived surgery and everything else and now he was going to be killed after all of that.  
  
"I'm going to help you get dressed. Get you into a wheelchair and we are going to leave this place."  
  
She walked over to Jack and helped him stand up. He grimaced in pain as he stood. She sat him on the edge of the bed and pulled the green scrubs the doctors had provided for him to change into. She helped him put the shirt on and she grabbed the wheel chair in the corner of the room. She kept one hand on the wheel chair and the other on the trigger of the gun pointed at Jacks head. She unhooked all of the things the doctors had hooked up to him. When she got to his IV she carefully removed it.  
  
"I don't want to kill you, but if I leave you here they'll get someone else, and if I absolutely have to later I'll be able to."  
  
6:57 6:58 6:59 


	20. 7:00 8:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.  
  
7:00  
  
Chase had returned to CTU, unharmed and ready to leave to comfort his wife. He was sitting with Michelle who was telling him about Jack's condition and everything. Chase filled her in on what had just occurred on the plane and how the cops failed to keep others from coming in. He wasn't sure if they were paid off or what, but it seemed like more and more of Treadstones people were joining the fight.  
  
"I'm not so sure that kidnapping the President was their goal." He said out of the blue.  
  
"Why do you think that?" Michelle asked.  
  
"They f@@@ed it when they grabbed Jack, Nina, and Kate. They need Jack and Nina together for something. I don't know what, but they want those two together."  
  
"I'm not sure I understand your reasoning. Why the bother with the President than?"  
  
"Maybe he's in the equation also. I mean they had the President. Why did they want Jack and Nina? On top of that how could they allow Jack to drive the van seeing where they were being held, and knowing that we could trace them with a satellite? It just doesn't make sense. I know usually the simplest thing is correct, but they have never failed before today. Maybe they want us to think that they failed, so we'll let our guard down and than they can sneak in with their plan. They need those three though. What do they have in common?" Chase tried to explain. It made sense to him, but maybe he was just trying to see more where there wasn't anything else.  
  
7:10  
  
Nina wheeled Jack out of the room. Everyone looked at her and they all had this I told you so look on their face. Nina ordered, "Stay back or I'll kill him."  
  
Jack sat stupidly in the wheelchair allowing her to wheel him out of there. He couldn't do anything about it. The drugs were kicking in and his mind would not focus. Damn those doctors for giving him pain killers, yet it felt as good as when he was high on heroin.  
  
Nina pushed Jack out of the hospital. She walked over to a person getting out of their car. She took the gun off Jack and ordered, "Give me your keys."  
  
The woman handed Nina her keys and backed away. Nina opened the back door and laid Jack across the back seat. Jack groaned when she moved him because she grabbed his hurt shoulder.  
  
Nina knowing what she did apologized, "I'm sorry. Hopefully everything will work. We have to go somewhere safe though. Till I can figure out what is going on."  
  
Jack laid in the back seat curled up the best he could without causing pain. When Nina looked back she saw a different side of Jack that she hadn't seen before, he was vulnerable and open. Normally he would have this hard side, but now he was like an innocent child. She felt more compelled to protect him. To protect this defenseless child, to do what others had not done for her as a child.  
  
She drove off into the night. She looked behind her occasionally and tried to find a tail or something. She drove to the back roads and than towards the outside of L.A. She wanted to go somewhere quiet.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Tony stood in semi-shock. He didn't know what to do or say. Kim just stared at the empty bed of her father. She was worried about her father, and she wanted to kill Nina. The phone to Jack's room rang. Tony walked over and answered it, "Almeida?"  
  
"Tony I just want you to know I'm not going to hurt him. He's in danger there. They ordered me to kill him, but I don't think I'm going to do it. But I had to get him out of there. I'm sorry." Nina said as she hung up the phone.  
  
Tony hung up the phone and scratched his head in confusion, "That was Nina. She said she wasn't going to hurt Jack, but actually that she was trying to protect him. Something about someone wanting her to kill him."  
  
"What?" Kim said in confusion.  
  
"That's what she said."  
  
Tony took out his cell phone and called Michelle he filled her in on the details of what just had happened.  
  
"It makes no sense." Michelle said, "I know it doesn't matter too much, but tell Kim Chase is back here."  
  
Tony looked at Kim and told her what Michelle asked her too. Tony said into the phone, "Maybe she'll call back to CTU."  
  
"Tony, Chase has a theory. He thinks there is more to this than what we are seeing. Something to do with Jack, Nina, and the President. We don't know what, but he is making sense." Michelle went through the explanation Chase went through with her and Tony concurred with her.  
  
"I'm going to bring the President and everyone else to CTU. Get some room ready for everyone."  
  
Tony looked at the President and told him about everything. The president agreed to come with them and they were all off to CTU. Tony, Kim, Kate, Palmer, and the secret service.  
  
7:25  
  
Keller sat in his mansion contemplating Plan C. He wasn't sure what to do. Nina was refusing to kill Jack, and the President was under heavy guard as was Tony, Jack, and Nina. His phone rang and he waited as his assistant answered it.  
  
His assistant looked at him and said, "Sir it is Mr. Dante he wants to get the heads together in a meeting. He has Mr. Prescott, and Mrs. Mellon already on there way here."  
  
"Well than I don't have much of a choice. Tell him I'll be ready. We'll he be joining us in person or via phone?"  
  
The assistant repeated what Keller had said, "He will be here. He's pulling in now sir."  
  
"Good I'll meet him in the barn." Keller said as he got up and walked out of the room towards the basement of the barn; his secret bunker.  
  
7:30  
  
Nina and Jack were outside of L.A. and Nina had no idea where to go. She drove hopping for the best. Than it occurred to her that her uncle had a house out in the country. If she begged him he might let her camp out there for an hour or so. She turned off on the correct exit and drove down the long road. Outside of L.A. was so different especially where he Uncle lived. You wouldn't think you were in California anymore. She turned down his long driveway and drove towards the big old style home. When she reached the end of the driveway her Uncle and Aunt were sitting on the porch as they usually did on nice nights.  
  
When Nina got out of the car she could see the anger in her Uncles eyes. He was a retired Major from the Army and when he found out Nina was a traitor he disowned her.  
  
"Please listen to me." She said when she got out of the car. "I have no excuse for what I have done in my life. None that will justify it, but I have a friend. He's hurt and we're both in danger. I need a place to camp for an hour and get my mind together so I can protect both of us. You know my friend, Jack Bauer. I told you about him before, and you probably heard about him in the news."  
  
"The man who's wife you killed?" He Uncle said angrily not believing her.  
  
"Yes. But there is more to it. I got him into some trouble earlier today and I can't stop it now. He got hurt badly saving the President earlier."  
  
"The President was fine earlier besides the accident that occurred when he flew to L.A." Her uncle recited from the news broadcast he had seen on President Palmer's incident earlier. The public was not informed of how Palmer was injured or what his injuries were. They were told that he had a trip to the hospital, but was fine and in great health.  
  
"The President was kidnapped earlier today. They aren't letting the public know because he was taken right outside of the White House."  
  
"There is no way that could happen." Her Uncle said not believing her.  
  
"Don't believe me, but you can see that this man in the back seat is hurt. Please let me have an hour to sit down and think. I'll leave than and never come back."  
  
"Let me see this gentlemen and talk to him."  
  
"He shouldn't speak. You'll see why."  
  
He uncle walked up to the car and looked inside. He saw Jack curled up and eyes glazed from the drugs. He also saw the wad of gaze on his neck and some gaze that appeared on his shoulder.  
  
"What did you do to him?" He said believing that Nina had done it.  
  
"Nothing." She grabbed a sheet of paper in her pocket and asked, "Do you have a pen?"  
  
He uncle reluctantly handed her a pen.  
  
Nina shook Jack lightly, "Jack I need your help. Please tell him that I did not hurt you. Jack can you hear me." Jack didn't respond to her. His mind was in the place that heroin use to take him too, and once there his mind went on vacation.  
  
Nina pleaded, "Please. I promise you I do not mean to hurt him. If I wanted to why would I bring him here? You don't care for me anymore so you would just call the police. If I don't find a spot to think for an hour we both will be dead."  
  
"Fine you have one hour. For him I'm allowing this. Help me get him inside. He should be in a hospital or something." They both carried Jack inside. Jacks legs barely worked. When they got him on the bed Jack barely said, "Thank you."  
  
Nina's Aunt came in with a cup of a warm brown liquid. "It's tea. It will help the swelling in his throat." Nina's aunt believed in healing the Chinese was and had always been correct. Nina helped Jack drink some of the tea. Nina's aunt said, "He has to drink it all." So Nina continued to help Jack as he slowly drank the brown liquid. It hurt going down, but he continued to do so. He was the little child obeying his mother. After he was done drinking Jack closed his eyes and let the drugs overrun his body and he fell asleep.  
  
Nina sat at the end of the bed watching Jack's chest slowly rise and fall. Watching him sleep made her tired so she took her thoughts to what was important; keeping them alive. Nina began to think that maybe she should leave Jack and take off. Forget him, who was she to try to protect him. If the situation was in reverse he'd of left her for death, but he had a reason to. How could she love her enemy? How could she love anyone? Everyone she loved had hurt her. She was walking towards the door to leave Jack when she looked back she saw the innocent child feature on his face and turned back. She cursed herself for allowing her feelings to interfere with what she had to do.  
  
7:50  
  
The group was assembled in the bunker under the barn.  
  
"It is my understanding that Nina Myers has just kidnapped and escaped with Bauer. We don't know what her intentions are." Prescott said.  
  
Keller grabbed his cell phone and called his close friend Richard. When Richard answer Keller went into the explanation of what he wanted to know, "Did you tell Nina to kill Bauer?"  
  
"Yeah Like you asked me too. She said she wouldn't even after I threaten that she would be killed if he wasn't."  
  
"She still wouldn't kill him?"  
  
"Nope. I don't know where she is now she left the hospital with Bauer. She really pissed some people off with that."  
  
"Thanks. If she contacts you; you know to get a hold of me."  
  
"Like always sir."  
  
"Thanks." Keller said. He told the others of what occurred.  
  
"Nina's protecting them both?" Prescott asked shocked at the revelation.  
  
"It seems our Nina has either grown a conscious or something to that matter." Keller replied.  
  
7:57 7:58 7:59 


	21. 8:00 9:00 pm Revised

(WARNING DESPRATE TIMES CALL FOR DESPRATE MEASURES.)  
  
The following occurs between the hours of 8:00 and 9:00 p.m.  
  
8:00  
  
Tony was in his office with Michelle, Chase, Palmer, Kim, and Kate. They were talking about what had transpired at the hospital when Chappelle walked in to the office.  
  
"Are we having a powwow?" He said before he noticed the President sitting on the couch. "Sorry Mr. President I didn't notice you were in here. Please for give me."  
  
"We were discussing what happened at the hospital and Chase's theory on the events of today." The President said, allowing his anger to show, something he rarely did.  
  
"What theory is that Chase?" Chappelle asked.  
  
Chase outlined what he thought about the kidnappings and other events that had occurred.  
  
"I can see why you might think that, but what's the link? The last link we knew of between the President and Jack was Drazen. The other link was killed in the abandoned warehouse today. So what else could there be?" Chappelle asked trying to figure out what it might be.  
  
Palmer looked up and said, "I cannot think of a link between Jack, Nina and myself. I've been racking my brain since Chase mentioned the idea. I have no clue."  
  
Tony added, "Maybe it's a group who hates Jack for doing something in the past, they hate you because of something else, and it's Nina's organization trying to get rid of her?"  
  
8:10  
  
Jack woke up and squinted his eyes in the dark room. There was someone sitting on the end the bed. He sat up to look at the foot of the bed. He barely whispered, "Nina?" His voice was quiet and scratchy and it hurt to speak.  
  
Nina jumped at the end of the bed. She was not expecting anyone to call to her. She looked at Jack sitting up in the bed, "how are you feeling?'  
  
In a hoarse whisper Jack said, "I've felt worse. Where am I?"  
  
"You're at my Uncles house. My people called me and told me to kill you. I didn't do it as you can tell, but if I didn't someone else would." Nina said softly as she got up from the bed.  
  
"Why?" Was all Jack could say. He didn't understand. They hated each other and wanted to see one another dead. He knew if she didn't kill him they would kill both of them, and Nina was a selfish person who would kill anyone in a heartbeat to save herself.  
  
"I don't know." She said lying. She knew why. She had crappy childhood, and an even crappier adulthood. This was her way of trying to fix things. This was her way of stopping the cycle she got caught in as a child. "You must be hungry. I'm starving let me see if they have anything to eat here." Nina said walking out of the room.  
  
She ran into her Aunt in the kitchen and asked, "Can we have something to eat?"  
  
Her Aunt who had always loved Nina even when she was at her worse said, "Sure honey. What would you like?"  
  
"Do you have chicken and noodle soup for Jack?"  
  
"Let me look." She walked over to the cabinet and opened it up, "Yeah. I can make that. What about you? I know your hungry and your so skinny. Why don't I heat up the leftovers from dinner for you? We had meatballs."  
  
"Thank you. Do you have more of that tea you had me give Jack earlier?"  
  
"Sure I'll heat some of that up too."  
  
The two ladies were busy heating the food and drinks up while Nina's Uncle walked into the room Jack was now sitting in.  
  
"Hello. I'm Nina's Uncle Rick."  
  
Jack said, "Hi. I'm Jack."  
  
"I know who you are. I've read about you in the papers many of times. You are one hell of a guy. You were in the Army originally correct?"  
  
"Yeah. I left as a Captain."  
  
"I retired as a Major."  
  
"Thanks for having us in for awhile." Jack said trying to hide the pain of talking.  
  
"No problem. After I found Nina turned I didn't want anything to do with her. I couldn't believe my little niece who was everything to me could do that to her country. But when she showed up today I remembered the frighten little girl from her childhood. I remembered all the stuff she has gone through, and than it occurred to me that she was always heading in that direction, it doesn't make what she did right, but I see how it was my fault for not getting her away from her mom and dad."  
  
Jack did not say anything to Rick. What could he say? He still had hate for Nina. The hate would always be there because every time he tried to remember the good times with her remembered holding his dead wife in his arms. He would remember the look on Kim's face, and the struggle to get Kim back afterwards, and the hate came back again.  
  
Nina came back into the room holding a tray with a bowl of soup and a cup of tea on it. "I didn't think you should have anything solid yet so I figured chicken noodle soup would do. I also had my aunt make some more of the tea you drank earlier as it seems that it helped you." Nina said setting the tray down by Jack. "We are going to be leaving soon. I think I have a plan."  
  
"What that?" Jack asked, wondering if she would revert back to her true form and hand him over to her employers.  
  
"We'll talk about it later. I don't want them to hear anything incase they trace us here. Do you want to call and let Kim know your fine?"  
  
"I should. She's probably worried sick to death."  
  
Nina tossed Jack a cell phone and said, "Please don't tell them where you are at. I think CTU is still compromised and with all of the other things that have happened today I wouldn't be surprised if the President still had moles inside."  
  
Jack dialed the number to CTU. He figured that is where Kim would be since he was missing. The phone rang a few times before Chloe picked it up.  
  
"CTU, Chloe speaking."  
  
In his scratchy voice Jack said, "Let me speak to Kim Bauer. . . I mean Edmunds." Jack was still getting used to her marrying Chase.  
  
"Hold please." Chloe hit the intercom button and waited for Tony to pick up the phone, "Almeida?"  
  
"Tony. I think I have Jack on the other line, I'm not sure his voice is rougher and quieter than usual."  
  
"Patch him through and start a trace."  
  
"Hello." Tony said when he heard the other line click in.  
  
"Tony? It's Jack. Let me speak to Kim."  
  
"What happening Jack?" Tony asked.  
  
"Everything is fine. Nina and I are working on something. I just wanted to call to let Kim know I'm fine and not to worry. Everything is ok."  
  
"Jack you should be in the hospital still. Nina had no right to take you out at gun point. Is she there with you?"  
  
"Not in the room. I got to go. We need to move to a new location. Keep the President and Kim safe. Don't let them leave your sight if they haven't already."  
  
"I already figured that Jack. Maybe you two should join us at CTU?"  
  
"Can't. Sorry." Jack said as he hung up the phone. He set the phone down and began to devour his food. He was starving he felt like he hadn't eaten all day. Going down it hurt at first, but later it became soothing.  
  
When they were finished Nina asked her Uncle if she could barrow some clothes for Jack. Both me were about the same size. He Uncle was a little bit bigger around the waist, but other than that everything fit, even a pair of shoes. Jack thanked him for the clothes and walked out to the car with Nina. They got in and drove off into the night.  
  
***********************************************************************  
  
"We got the trace. They are outside of L.A. at a vineyard." Chloe told Tony over the phone.  
  
"Good send some people there. Chase and Richardson are going to head out now." Tony ordered.  
  
Chase jumped out of his chair and headed towards the parking lot where he would meet Richardson to go get Jack.  
  
8:35  
  
Keller and others outlined a plan to cover up the CIA's secret plan of hiring terrorist groups, such as second wave, to reek havoc in the U.S. This would make the CIA's budget rise and undermine David Palmers Presidency. They all cursed one another for allowing the other plan of having Jack and the President taken out, but they couldn't blame themselves for being ambitious. Keller cursed himself for thinking that Treadstone could handle it all, but he took out that link. All there was left was Nina Myers. She knew too much. She had Bauer and that made her easier to track because Bauer was hurt so they were slower. All he had to do now was capture Nina and move on with the plan. Palmer was unreachable, but maybe he could deal with the man. Everyone had a price, even Palmer. Jack on the other hand was beaten. The poor man has been so messed up over the past few hours that killing him would not be worth it. Nina was the only target. She disobeyed an order and was loose cannon now.  
  
8:40  
  
Nina and Jack were on a country road heading towards Treadstones friends house. Nina had been there twice and she knew well that if Treadstone left anything behind it was with this man, and he would pick up the torch and run with it.  
  
Nina was driving when a car pulled up behind them. She hadn't noticed it till it was right on them. The driver had the lights off, she sped up. The car turned its lights on and was much faster than the car Nina was driving so it easily passed them. Nina breathed a sigh of relief when the car passed because it passed there was no reason to pass them if they wanted to stop them. But that sigh only lasted a moment because another car came up behind them and rammed them hard.  
  
The impact of the car behind them sent Jack flying forward in the passenger seat. The seat belt pushed him back, but he let out a groan of pain because it was his hurt shoulder that the seat belt was on. Nina went to speed up but the car that passed them earlier was stopped in the center of the road. She swerved past it almost hitting a ditch. Recovering she got back on the road and drove until a loud cracking noise filled the night air. One of the tires blew out and Nina fought to keep the car under control, but it was worthless. The car turned sideways and than began to flip over until it lost its momentum and landed upside down.  
  
8:50 (TIME DRIVING EXPLAINS JUMP IN TIME)  
  
"Tony we rerouted a satellite to that area and there were three cars driving two of which didn't become visible until they were right up on the third. The third car flipped. I think that was the one the Jack and Nina were in. But I'm not sure." Chloe relayed to Tony.  
  
"Where at?"  
  
Chloe gave him the coordinates and Tony called Chase to relay the coordinates given to him.  
  
"We're about twenty minutes out." Chase said. "Can you follow them on the satellite?"  
  
8:57 8:58 8:59 


	22. 9:00 10:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between he hours of 9:00 and 10:00 pm  
  
9:00  
  
Jack lay upside down in the car. He tried to free himself from the seatbelt, but it was stuck. He looked over at Nina. Blood was pouring from her head. He reached for the cigarette lighter. He pushed it in and waited for it to pop out. When it popped out he used it to burn the seat belt away. Once he got the lap strap free he fell forward. Freeing himself from the shoulder strap he looked over at Nina. He took her seat belt off and tried to grab her with both his good and bad arm before she hit the bottom of the top of the car. Pulling her out of the car, he carried her about ten yards from the car before he sat down and tried to catch his breath and block out the pain in his shoulder, and head. Two men came running up with guns drawn. Jack just sat on the ground trying to focus past the pain and catch his breath. The men had their gun pointed at him.  
  
"Grab both of them. I'm not sure what he wants done with them." Someone from the other side of the car ordered.  
  
One of the men walked up to Jack. Helped him up than put a black bag over his head. Jack followed where the hands pushed him. He was in no mood to fight nor able to, and he knew it. He figured if they wanted them dead they would both already be dead. Jack got into the van and sat. He could see Nina on the floor at his feet when he looked down. She was still out, but her chest was moving so she was breathing.  
  
9:10  
  
"Tony it was a hit on the car. I saw someone get out and carry a woman out of the car. I figure it is Jack and Nina. Some people grabbed them and put them in the back of a van. I'm following them now." Chloe said trying to stay calm. She hated when Jack put himself in danger, and knowing his current condition he was in no shape to deal with the problem.  
  
Kim walked up to Tony, "Do you think they are going to kill them?"  
  
"Kim if they wanted both of them dead they would have killed them by now. I figure they want something from both of them. What it is I don't know, but they must want something."  
  
Tony called Chase, "How far are you guys out?"  
  
"Ten minutes from the vineyard and fifteen from the spot the car was hit. Which do we go to?"  
  
"Go past the spot the car was hit and call me. I'll give you directions to where the van last was. Hopefully we can continue to follow them hopefully they don't shut of their lights because the satellite we have isn't equipped for night vision. We're barrowing it from the weather channel."  
  
9:15  
  
The phone rang in the bunker. Keller answered it, "What?"  
  
"Sir we have Nina and Jack. We are on our way back with them. What should we do with them when we get there?"  
  
"Put Jack in a room by himself. Make sure he can't see anything. Bring Nina to the conference room. I have some people who want to question her."  
  
"Yes sir. Our ETA is five minutes."  
  
Keller rubbed his hands together. He didn't want Jack, but he could use him. Jack and the President were good friends, maybe he could use that. ************************************************************************  
  
Jack began to cough uncontrollably in the van. He was struggling to breathe. One of the men came up to him and asked, "What's wrong? You better not be faking." The man said as he pulled the black cloak off Jacks head. Jacks face was beat red. He was still coughing something was caught in his throat. The man grabbed a water canteen and said, "Drink this.'  
  
Jack took a gulp and tried to focus his watering eyes. The man gently pushed Jacks head up and examined the bullet wound in his neck, "Well it's still intact so it's not that. Can you breathe now?"  
  
Jack shook his head and in a scratchy voice said, "Yes."  
  
"Good." The man put the black cloak back over Jacks head.  
  
The van stopped and Jack was escorted out by the man who helped him earlier. Jack walked down a flight of steps. He knew he was on a cement floor by the sound of his feet hitting it. He was escorted down a hallway, and than they turned left. The man said, "Stop." Jack heard him fumbling with keys and unlocking a door. The man walked Jack into the room. "Sit." The man said guiding Jack to a wooden chair in the room. The man secured both of Jacks hands behind his back on the outside of the back of the chair. "Don't remove the bag from over your head." The man said.  
  
Jack heard him walk out of the room and lock the door again. Jack tried to get his other senses to work. He hated when he was blinded because he didn't know where he was or what was going on around him. Someone could be sitting behind him quietly and he wouldn't notice unless they breathed heavily.  
  
9:35  
Nina awoke on a hard cement floor. When she opened her eyes she noticed focus. She noticed the four people sitting in the room. She recognized two of the four. One was VP Prescott and the other was the director of the CIA Dante. The other two she did not notice.  
  
"Hello Nina. So nice of you to join us?" Keller said.  
  
"Not like I really had a choice." Nina replied lifting herself into a sitting position.  
  
"Have you told anyone about us?" Dante asked.  
  
"I don't know who us is."  
  
"Who do you work for?"  
  
"You know that already. I work for Dante over there. He recruited me to do his dirty work. The work the CIA just couldn't legally do. Than he pimped me to others like the Drazens and Asaid."  
  
"Who have you told?"  
  
"No one."  
  
"Are you sure, cuz I don't want to have to disturb Mr. Bauer about this. He has enough problems as is."  
  
"I haven't told anyone. Where is Jack?"  
  
"He's around. Don't worry about that."  
  
"Why did you want me to kill him earlier? He is one of you." Nina asked Dante.  
  
"No he's not. He is working for another government. He is a mole."  
  
"Yeah right and I'm Joan of Ark." Nina said.  
  
"He is. Why do you think I allowed you to kill his wife?"  
  
"No he's not. If he was a mole he would not have gone through so much the past few years to save this country. You are the traitor not him."  
  
"No Nina you are sadly mistaken. The reason Bauer went through so much the past few years is because the country he works for is an ally of ours. They would hate to see bad things happen to us, until they do it."  
  
"Yeah right. Let me guess that country happens to be um Canada?"  
  
"No. I don't like the tone you're having."  
  
"Sorry, but I know Jack is not a mole. There is no way possible he is too clean to be a mole."  
  
"He is a mole Nina. He has been working with Russia for a long time. The only reason why he stopped the nuclear bomb was because the countries we were going to attack have a secret alliance with Russia. Because good old Mother Russia is trying to become the USSR again. The virus last year. Did you actually see it blown up? Yeah there was an explosion, but was that the virus? No he smuggled it to Russia were they are making more of it. Stopping Palmers assignation plot was to allow a sympathizer to world problems into office. If the other President got re-elected he was going to cut funding to Russia because they are not dismantling their nuclear weapons. Everything he has done has a reason to it." Dante explained.  
  
9:45  
  
Chase and Richardson had just passed the wreck and Chase was dialing the number to Tony's office.  
  
Tony picked up on the first ring and said, "Chase keep going down this road for another ten minutes and than turn off on the right. Follow the road down about half a mile and than ditch the van. They are in the barn." Tony directed.  
  
"Do we have back up coming?" Chase asked.  
  
"They are about twenty minutes out. They will arrive about the same time as you do. They are coming in by a black hawk. They'll land about two miles from the house and run in. We are hoping that is enough to not create suspicion because that neighbor has a helicopter landing sight for his chopper. He works for one of the local radio stations for road traffic and other things."  
  
"Good we'll wait at the truck for them." Chase said. He hung up his phone and relayed the information to Richardson. They both sat quietly anticipating the action a head of them.  
  
9:50  
  
The helicopter landed and the team jumped off with their gear. Once they cleared the helicopter they took off running at a good pace so that they would reach their mark within the ETA. They had a mission to do and they were going to do it. Every man ran at double time and none of them were out of breath when they reached the mile marker in their trip.  
  
9:57 9:58 9:59 ************************************************************************ 


	23. 10:00 11:00 pm Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.  
  
10:00  
  
Jack sat in the room with the black cloak over his head. He could feel the warm blood run down his back. The wounds on his shoulder and been ripped open when he carried Nina out and away from the car. The warm blood warmed his cold body. He was sweating which was making the cold chill he felt even worse. He hoped that something would happen soon. He was tired of sitting around waiting for someone to come and do something. He had been caught too many times today and the day was wearing on him. It was time to either kill him or leave him alone. He was tried, hurt, and starved.  
  
He heard the door open and someone walk into the room. "Hello Jack. Is it ok if I call you Jack?"  
  
"Do whatever pleases you." Jack said back in his scratchy voice.  
  
"Of course Jack."  
  
"Where is Nina?"  
  
"She's around. Don't worry about her. She is fine. It's you I'm worried about. See Jack I have learned to like you. You are that little puppy that you smack in the nose and it comes back begging for more. I have despised you for awhile, but you have grown on me today. Let's see you've been tortured, shot, stabbed, and kidnapped multiple times and still here you are. Fighting to help the woman that killed your wife, and has tried to kill you countless times. I don't understand you? How can you help the woman that killed your wife?" The man said.  
  
"I don't know. But I'm sure if you ask Freud he'll say it's something from my childhood." Jack said, showing that he was tired and didn't want to do this, either kill him or let him go was the message he was trying to give.  
  
"Freud that is interesting. I don't know Jack. I think maybe you were happy when Nina killed your wife. One less person you had to lie to."  
  
"What? Do you think I was happy? Sure I spent the last few years fighting not to go under so that I could pretend my wives death didn't bother me."  
  
"You had countless chances of killing Nina and you haven't. You actually have saved her once. That is quite opposite to the feeling you claim to have. You current girlfriend, umm... Kate. I think that's her name. She know about the real you Jack?"  
  
"What do you mean the real me?" Jack asked.  
  
"You Jack Bauer. Not the CTU agent, the real Jack Bauer?"  
  
"You must be on drugs because I have no idea what you are talking about."  
  
10:15  
  
Nina sat on the floor listening to Keller talk to Jack. Some of the things that Dante had revealed made since, but at the same time it didn't. She knew Dante and Prescott were dirty. They never wanted Palmer in office at least not for long. Things just never worked out, but to believe Jack was a spy was too unbelievable. Yet at the same time a part of her started to doubt that Jack wasn't.  
  
Dante asked, "Is that enough to get you to believe?"  
  
"No he's still denying it."  
  
"Of course he is. Do you think he is just going to say, 'Oh you caught me? Guess I'll give myself up?' No he's not he'll fight it till the end." Dante said. "Nina what was your excuse for doing what you did?"  
  
"You know it, my bad childhood."  
  
"What would you do if I told you Jack had the same childhood?"  
  
"No he had a happy family upbringing. He told me about it once."  
  
"No he didn't. His father was a drug addict and an alcoholic. He would beat Jacks mom and Jack would hear it. His father was an Army Captain. After he returned from war he got violent. When Jack was a teenager his father turned his rage to Jack. When Jack turned eighteen he left to join the army. What he did was classified, but he spent a lot of time in Russia at the beginning of his career."  
  
"That doesn't make him a traitor." Nina argued.  
  
"Same circumstances and he had opportunity to do get trained by the government." Dante argued.  
  
10:30  
  
Chase and the others were outside the compound they were awaiting a satellite photo to be uploaded into Chase's palm pilot. Once it was uploaded they would make a plan and go in and get Jack.  
  
Chase called Tony, but Chloe answered the phone.  
  
"Chloe let me talk to Tony."  
  
"Hold please."  
  
Tony picked the phone up a moment later, "What Chase?"  
  
"We are just outside the compound now getting ready to head in. I though you should know. The back up is here and were ready to go."  
  
"You have the green light from the President. He wishes you good luck too."  
  
10:35  
  
Keller's phone rang while he was question Jack. "Excuse me Jack. Sorry about this I hate cell phones."  
  
"Hello."  
  
"You have to get out of there now. They are coming. A team is just outside. Abandoned everything and leave now. They know where you're at."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Positive."  
  
"Thanks for the heads up."  
  
He hung up the phone and looked at Jack. "Looks like we will have to cut this short. I have to leave on urgent business."  
  
Keller walked out of the room and down to the room Nina and everyone was in. "A team is outside we have to leave. Now."  
  
The four people took off out the back of the barn. They drove through the night in a black van with all of the lights off.  
  
10:40  
  
Jack sat in the room with the cloak over his head awaiting the return of the guy who was clearly messed up. Possibly a humanist with the real you thing, but other than that he didn't know what was going on. He heard the door open and was expecting the same voice, but to his shock it was Nina.  
  
"Jack. What is this about you being a traitor?"  
  
"What?" Jack said angry.  
  
"They say you're working for Russia."  
  
"Nina why would I have done the things I have done if I'm working for them."  
  
"I don't know, but they had some good reasons."  
  
"How are you still alive?"  
  
"I don't know. They had to leave in a hurry."  
  
At that moment Chase and the team came busting in. Nina looked at Chase. She had her hands above her head as she said, "No need to worry. They already left."  
  
"Damn it. I always miss the action." Chase said jokingly. He walked up to Jack and took the black cloak off of his head. "Hey Jack. Nice to see you again."  
  
"Yeah." Jack said.  
  
"Why don't we get out of here? Debrief you two and let Nina go back to her criminal duties." Chase said.  
  
"Sounds like fun." Jack said as he stood up from the chair after one of the other team members uncuffed him.  
  
"Jack your going to drive back in the second van. We have a medical person in there. Your shoulder needs to be looked at." Chase said.  
  
"Sure." Jack replied.  
  
Once they were in the van Nina began to tell Chase about what a few of the men had said to her. She left there names out of it. She still worked for them, and they didn't kill her so that must mean she still has a job.  
  
"They were probably just messing with you Nina." Chase answered.  
  
"But when I asked Jack about it he got really pissed."  
  
"Of course he did. He has sacrificed so much for this country to think that he was a traitor?"  
  
"Yeah probably." Nina stayed silent the rest of the ride.  
  
10:50  
  
Chase called Tony from the van, "We got them both and were bringing them back. It was really weird. The people took off before we got there and left these two alive."  
  
"Yeah that is weird." Tony said. "Oh well. It's good."  
  
Tony told the President the good news.  
  
"That's great. I'm going to go to Jacks office and catch some shut eye on his couch. Do you think he would mind?"  
  
"No sir. You could head back now if you wanted. I don't' think there will be much more happening for awhile."  
  
"I want to be here when Jack gets back. Just to make sure everything happens as it is supposed to."  
  
"Sure sir. I'll have him wake you when he gets here."  
  
10:57 10:58 10:59 


	24. 11:00 pm 12:00 am Revised

The following occurs between the hours of 11:00 P.M. to 12:00 A.M.  
  
11:00  
  
The four laughed nervously as they drove through the night. When they were far enough away from the house they turned the lights on and drove towards civilization in L.A. "So what do we do now?" Dante asked, "Nina knows Prescott, and I are involved. She knows what all of us look like."  
  
"She'll keep it to herself." Keller said.  
  
"Why would she do that?" Prescott asked.  
  
"She has something on us now. We can't kill her because she probably is already setting up a back up plan. We have her doubting Bauer now. Let's hope that seed of doubt will cause her to revert back to the old Nina." Keller answered.  
  
11:05  
  
Jack sat in the van contemplating what he would say to Kim when he saw her. The last time they talked they got into a fight and he needed to show her that he was trying to move on with his life. In the same instance it occurred to him the Kate wanted an answer from her earlier question. He had two women he had to give answers to in less than ten minutes. He loved Kate, and loved being with her, but he felt that when he was with her he was holding her back because he would always love Teri.  
  
The van pulled into CTU and parked. Jack walked out of the van looking around the parking garage. He thought about the last time he came through the parking garage and it was late, after a long day. The memory hurt, but he kept the thought with him.  
  
The other van pulled up and Jack saw the woman that had caused all the pain in his life, yet saved it more than once today. Nina hopped out of the van intent on interrogating Jack. What the people said, as much as she hated, made sense. He had the opportunity and time to do it, and their excuses were good. She kicked Chase as he was getting out of the van and knocked Richardson over grabbing his gun. Pointing it at Jack she asked, "Who are you Jack?"  
  
"What do you mean Nina?" Jack asked confused.  
  
"Who are you? Are you a spy?"  
  
"We already went over this. No I'm not. Why would I have sacrificed so much the past few years?"  
  
"Where were you the first few years of your duty in the army?"  
  
"That's classified. I can't tell you."  
  
"What?" She said letting a shot off that just barely missed Jacks head. Jack flinched at the shot. Nina walked up to him and pushed the gun barrel into his back. "We're going up to Tony's office. He is going to pull your military records up and I am going to see for myself that you are a traitor." She ordered.  
  
"Fine Nina. But there isn't going to be anything there. You know where I spent the first few years of my military career because it was one of the reasons why I was chosen for operation Nightfall."  
  
"What do you mean?" Nina asked confused.  
  
"I was in the Balkans. Specifically around Kosovo and others."  
  
"So you were close to Russia?"  
  
"Yes, but I've never been there before."  
  
"You are lying."  
  
"Nina what do I have to do to prove to you I'm not a traitor? You are really loosing it. It is you that is the traitor not I." Jack said anger flaring.  
  
Up at Tony's office Tony jumped when he saw Nina enter CTU holding Jack at gun point. He went to walk down the stairs of his office when Nina yelled, "Stay up there. We're coming up to you."  
  
When they reached the top of the stairs Nina had Jack sit in one of the chairs. She kept her gun pointed at him the entire time. She walked over to Tony's computer and said, "Pull up Jack's military records."  
  
"Most of those are classified." Tony answered allowing his confusion to show through.  
  
"Yes I know. You can access them though." Nina said.  
  
"What are we looking for?"  
  
"Proof that Jack is a traitor."  
  
"What? You are the traitor Nina. Why would he?" Tony said angry at Nina for accusing Jack of being a traitor.  
  
He pulled Jacks military recorded up and Nina studied it.  
  
"You see while I was over there I had no chance to go to Russia because I never had leave. I was working with Walsh on a special mission at the time. I was on loan to CTU."  
  
Nina said, "Move!", as she pushed Tony away from the computer. The minute the gun left Jacks body he rushed Nina, jumping over Tony's desk and knocking her to the floor. He began to choke her to. He wanted to kill her so bad. Tony walked up behind him trying to pull him off Nina.  
  
Nina took one of her hands and punched Jack in the abdomen where he had been shot earlier. The blow to his side was a surprise and it made Jack loosen his grip for a moment, but he continued on. Nina than lifted her knee and kneed Jack as hard as she could in the groin. This caused Jack to let go and groan in pain. She pushed him off of her and went to kick him, but Tony grabbed her.  
  
"Nina stop it. Have you gone crazy?" Tony asked. He motioned for Chase and Richardson to come up. "Take her to an interrogation room and keep her there until he ride gets her."  
  
Tony walked over to Jack who was now sitting up. "You ok?" Tony asked.  
  
"Yeah just peachy." Jack said still pissed off.  
  
"The President wanted to see you as soon as you got back. He's in your office asleep. He said to wake him."  
  
"I'll go do that. Where are Kim and Kate?" Jack asked.  
  
"I think they are in one of the conference rooms, but I'm not sure."  
  
"Ok."  
  
11:30  
Jack walked up to his office and said, "Mr. President. It's Jack."  
  
The President sat up and said, "It's nice to see you made it back."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"About that vacation. It starts immediately and afterwards please stop taking dangerous missions. Pass the torch on to someone else to worry about them. I'm sure there are other people you would like to talk to right now other than me. Go see your daughter and Kate."  
  
"Yes sir." Jack replied and walked out of the office to find Kate and Kim.  
  
He searched the first conference room and didn't see a sign of them. He went to the second one and he found them talking. They didn't notice he had opened the door or was even present, but he decided to ease drop for a moment.  
  
"I can't take it anymore Kate. It's been awhile now and he still had not even dealt with it."  
  
"Kim he has. In his own way. He has improved some. It takes awhile for some people. Everyone grieves in their own way."  
  
"I don't know how you can go back to him? He will only shut off again eventually. And you will end up like you were last time."  
  
"No it won't happen this time because when I start to sense he is shutting down I will encourage him more and live with it more. Eventually he will come through. He just needs time. I love him Kim. I hope that doesn't bother you, but I really love him."  
  
"I know you do and I understand."  
  
Jack closed the door and walked in the room. Both women jumped at the sight of him. Jack decided to play it off as if he had not been there listening that long.  
  
Kim got up and hugged him. Kate followed behind her. They all sat down and Jack new it was coming. This was the moment he had to confront both of their earlier situations. Right now he would give anything to have another crisis to occur. Even if his body just wanted to sleep.  
  
Jack took a deep breath and thought about what he would say. He wanted to stall, but he knew better. It was only prolonging the moment and it was better to get it over with now. "I am going to try to change. I know I have allowed myself to withdraw from both of you. I am going to try to be more open, but you have to understand. I don't live in a normal world. I tried to shield all of you from this world, but each time I have failed. I failed Teri and it is my fault. I failed you both today multiple times. I am going to try. I can't promise anything, but I'm willing to try."  
  
Kim had tears coming out of her eyes, "Dad you didn't fail mom. No one could have known about Nina. No one, not even you. You tried to warn everyone and Mason didn't listen. It is no ones fault. It was her time. Nothing we could do."  
  
Tears were in Jack's eyes but he held them back. Kate walked up to him and hugged him, "It's ok Jack. Everything is going to be fine."  
  
The three walked out of the conference room. Kim went looking for Chase. When she found him she hugged him. She still had tears in her eyes.  
  
Worried that the confrontation when wrong Chase asked, "Are you ok?"  
  
Kim smiled and said, "Everything is fine."  
  
"Good because I think I would have had to deal with Jack if he hurt you again." Chase said jokingly.  
  
"Lets go home. Sleep forever and never get out of bed." Kim said resting her head against Chase's chest.  
  
"I could live with that." Chase said smiling.  
  
The two walked out to the car where Kate and Jack were waiting. They four got in and rove off into the night towards the new day. 11:40  
  
Now in L.A. the four went to Keller's office building. Once inside Prescott called for a secret service person to pick him up, and the others walked out to take a taxi back to their homes.  
  
The phone rang and Keller answered it, "Hello?"  
  
"It's Nina. You lied to me about Jack didn't you?"  
  
"That is for you to figure out. Are we square now or are we going to have to tango again."  
  
"We are even for now. As long as you don't try to kill me again."  
  
"Deal. Why don't you meet me at my office and we can fly to somewhere nice and forget about the past day."  
  
"That sounds like fun. I'll meet you at the airport, as I have an escort making sure I leave the country again."  
  
"See you then."  
  
11:50  
  
Now in Jack's apartment Kate looked at him and hugged him. "I was so worried earlier today. I though you would of left me. You still should be in the hospital you know?"  
  
"I hate hospitals. I know I should be, but if something bad was going to happen it would have happened already. With all that has happened, I think I'll live. Let's go take a hot shower and than go to bed. I'm so tired."  
  
"Sounds like fun. How about we eat after the shower, eat in bed."  
  
"Sure we still have Chinese food left over from earlier." Jack said smiling at her.  
  
And the ninja laughed as he saw Jack and Kate walk hand in hand down the hallway. (ATHOUR NOTE: I promised snake I would do this. She would kill me otherwise for getting bored enough and obsessed enough to write a fan fic. Sorry snake. R U happy now?)  
  
11:57 11:58 11:59 


End file.
